Cooperation is key to wool industry future
A joined up approach from everyone in the wool supply chain, from farmers to traders and through to manufacturers is key to the future of the wool sector delegates at last week’s British Wool Marketing Board conference were told.
Peter Ackroyd, President of the International Wool Textile Organisation and Chief Operating Officer for the Campaign for Wool
A joined up approach from everyone in the wool supply chain, from farmers to traders and through to manufacturers is key to the future of the wool sector delegates at last week’s British Wool Marketing Board conference were told.
Addressing the conference Peter Ackroyd, President of the International Wool Textile Organisation and Chief Operating Officer for the Campaign for Wool, said coordinated work across the supply chain was central to ensuring consumers understood the value of wool and the role it can play in the textile industry in future.
Mr Ackroyd said collaboration between a wide number of wool producing countries had already been key to developing IWTO’s environmental credential work for wool. “The BWMB was particularly supportive of this work which was a joint effort between all the grower countries in response to searching questions about wools sustainability from leading retailers prioritising corporate social responsibility.
Malcolm Corbett, BWMB Chairman
“And of course BWMB was the founder grower nation of HRH The Prince of Wales’ Campaign for Wool. Since its launch in January of 2010, Australia New Zealand, South Africa, and Norway have joined the campaign as key funders. The campaign is now a major seasonal event in 19 countries with further ambitions to spread wools environmental message into China.”
Mr Ackroyd urged growers to continue their support for both these essential wool activities which were yielding strong support from both retailers and consumers worldwide.
Following the same theme BWMB Chairman Malcolm Corbett told delegates that it was the collaborative nature of marketing wool through BWMB which had helped increase producer returns in the last decade.
“Growing demand for wool, partly as a result of the strong messaging from the Campaign for Wool, and also due to a rise in price of competing textiles, has helped improve prices.
“However, it is the strength in unity offered by selling through BWMB which is really helping deliver price improvements. BWMB’s ability to offer large volumes of quality, graded wool coupled with its competitive auction system have been key to driving up UK wool prices.”
Mr Corbett asked delegates to continue reminding producers across the country of the work done on their behalf by BWMB. “Whether it is funding CfW, providing shearing training or grading wool prior to sale, BWMB is unique in UK agriculture as the last remaining marketing board.
“One only has to observe current issues in the dairy sector to realize what the position could be for the wool sector without BWMB. It is vital we maintain a critical mass of producers as without BWMB there is no doubt wool prices in the UK would be significantly lower than they are now,” he added.
