The Textile Exchange released the first draft of the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) this week, for public stakeholder review by interested parties at responsiblewool.org. This allows the public to provide input for the standard, to make sure that it delivers value to the wool industry. The RWS is intended as a global benchmark for animal welfare and land management practices in sheep farming. The Textile Exchange says it is meant to provide the industry with means to recognize best practices among farmers, to make sure that wool comes from responsibly treated sheep, and from farms with a progressive approach to managing their land, among other goals. The stakeholder review will be open for 60 days. The RWS Technical Group will then review the input, make revisions, and put the standard out for another 30 days of open stakeholder review, after which final revisions will be made. The European Outdoor Group is on the steering committee of the Wool International Working Group, along with the Outdoor Industry Association and other companies and associations, while The North Face is part of its advisory group. Further details on the draft in the next issue of The Compass.

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