Fresh from mixing with the global leaders in wool textile processing, Wool Impact chief executive Andy Caughey says the stage is set for strong wool’s comeback.
Caughey was part of a New Zealand delegation to the International Wool Textile Organisation’s 93rd congress in Adelaide last month.
He told the Farmers Weekly In Focus podcast that international brands and buyers are increasingly looking for sustainability and transparency of supply chains and are keen to get closer to the growers, rather than buy on the commodity market.
“They’re looking for connectivity … and one of the endeavours of Wool Impact is decommodifying how we handle our strong wool and aligning brands through a value chain, through to growers. This is the way that the market’s going.
“And with digital technology now, the ability to build value chains with that connectivity is going to get easier than before. This is something that helps provide greater integrity for the brands as they reposition themselves.”
New Zealand’s wool industry needed to listen to these market signals and move with them, Caughey said.
“We’ve only got 100,000 tonnes of wool. What are the different markets that can take it? What are the different product categories?”
Rugs, hard flooring and acoustics were some of the products highlighted, as well as innovations like pigments, proteins and powders.
As nations regulate away from plastics and synthetic fibres, there will be more opportunities, Caughey said, highlighting NZ’s goal of using wool fibres in schools and other government buildings.
“Strong wool should be a contemporary fibre. It provides so many functional attributes and benefits that have been forgotten,” Caughey said.
“So there is an opportunity to re-educate and reposition, particularly with international brands who don’t even consider wool as part of a fibre offering.
“What we’re endeavouring to do is to make it easy for them to make that transition. In addition to just using the product, it’s all about helping them position it through good storytelling.
“And we’ve got great stories to be able to tell about growers and the way that they’re farming. We’ve got world-class farmers here producing two-thirds of the world’s premium strong wool.”
