Organic Wool Heading Our Way
Organic wool is produced throughout Australia and has been for a number of years. A recent auction in Melbourne has seen organic wool sell for significantly higher prices than conventionally grown wool. I wonder if this is really worth it. I can’t imagine that there is that much difference between the two products. It’s not like it’s cotton which is just about drenched with chemicals during production. I also wonder if the demand is there for organic wool. Maybe producers of wool clothing think that anything organic will sell. I don’t look for organic wool products when I go shopping but maybe I should.
It looks like the number of organic wool products is likely to rise in the coming years. At the moment it takes a bit of searching, but you can probably find organic wool socks and blankets. I will be interested to try them to see if the difference can be felt in the fabric. I’ve tried organic cotton clothes and the fabric is super soft so I hope it will be the same for organic wool but somehow I doubt it. One of the growth areas is probably going to be in organic wool mattresses and futons but I don’t think they are available in Australia at the moment.
If you are wondering what qualifies as organic when it comes to wool production then here is a brief list from the Organic Trade Association in the US:
- Livestock feed must be organic
- The use of hormones and genetic engineering is prohibited
- The use of pesticides is prohibited
- Producers must encourage healthy animals through good management
The means the sheep can’t be dipped in pesticides to control parasites. That can only be a good thing for the animals. The other significant difference is that the wool can’t be cleaned with chemicals or bleach.
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