In the Age of the Internet, clever turns of phrase, technicalities, clickbait, greenwashing, and just plain misinformation overrun the floods of information at our fingertips. It can be hard to know for sure whether or not you're actually shopping as sustainably or socially consciously as you might like. Fortunately, some industries have taken that very real concern seriously.

If you've been around the Mill House blog for a while, you may remember our previous post about the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) and its brief overview of the certification from a business perspective. Meridian Mill House™ would like to offer our readers a new blog series exploring a more in depth look at the RWS and the direct impact it can have from the ranch all the way to your hands.

This month, we'll explore the basics of RWS and the Animal Welfare criteria.

What is the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)?

In the simplest form, the RWS is an international, voluntary farming standard offered by Textile Exchange- a non-profit in the sustainable fiber and materials industry. The goal is to address best practices of sheep farming- from animal welfare to land stewardship and basic maintenance, as well as social welfare for farm workers- while offering a well-developed chain of custody system that giving customers the confidence to trust RWS labeled wool.

Looking a little more closely, the standard is used as a starting point to drive continuous improvements in animal care and land management and social conditions within the agricultural sector. It breaks down into requirements, recommendations, permissions, and possibilities or capabilities across categories in order to achieve "Desired Outcomes" -- goals for farmers to work toward rather than mandatory criteria (RWS 2.2, p. 7).

Each requirement falls into one of three categories:

•  Critical: immediate suspension or refusal of certification

• Major: 30 days to rectify

• Minor: 60 days to rectify before it upgrades to Major non-conformity

(See RWS 2.2, Section A2).

This clear framework keeps certification direct while leading farms to continue improving.

Before we move on to explore animal welfare, there's one last thing to quickly review: the scope of RWS certification. Per section B.1 of RWS 2.2, it applies to "all supply chain sites of wool." So, from the ranch until the last business-to-business transaction, everything is tracked under the RWS Chain of Custody standards.[1] (RWS 2.2, Section B.1).

As previously mentioned, RWS is available internationally through the Textile Exchange, and applies to virgin wool only (recycled wool is ineligible). Products containing a minimum of 5% RWS wool, and no other non-certified virgin wool, as well as by-products such as lanolin where 100% comes from RWS wool processing, can also be covered under the standard (RWS 2.2, pp. 5, 12).

No gates being kept here- RWS may even be applied to farms and ranches that provide slaughter sites for meat sheep, to ensure ethical treatment of animal and employee. Every avenue covered, it becomes abundantly clear that the goal is transparency, traceability, and ethical practices in every facet of the wool industry (RWS 2.2, pp. 5, 12).

Animal Welfare: How RWS Protects Sheep

It's fairly easy to see by now why we've chosen to make a series instead of a singular blog post. The first standard we'll cover the most obvious: after all, if there are no sheep, there's no wool! Less obvious, however, is how much really goes in to the actual animal care across the entire lifecycle of a sheep on the farm. These next five sections will really address that.

Nutrition

Desired outcome number one is as simple as it gets. Regardless of age or needs, every animal should have appropriate access to food or water to maintain a normal health:

• Feed changes must be gradual and monitored, including supplementary feeding for adaptation.
• Clean drinking water of an easily attainable level is required at all time, whether it is by trough, stream or other drinkers
• Food and water are to be monitored for quantity and quality regularly

It is specifically even noted that the desire is to avoid "prolonged hunger, thirst, dehydration, or malnutrition" using feed management plans (RWS 2.2, pp. 17–18). To anyone unfamiliar with farms, the wording may feel a little strange. "Prolonged? Wouldn't they want to avoid any period of hunger and thirst in grazing animals?" RWS doesn't leave us hanging- they go on to clarify this as well.

At times, just like with pets, there may be veterinary reasons or other management reasons (transport, shearing, etc) where the withholding of food and water is necessary. However, farmers can't just deprive food and water as they like. RWS sets hard limitations-- 24 hours for healthy sheep, 8 hours for lactating or ewes in late gestation, and not at all for animals who are ill or in poor condition (RWS 2.2, p. 18).

RWS also requires that any animal being held in sheds or yards for management off feed and water must be closely monitored for signs of distress (RWS 2.2, p. 18).

Ill and injured sheep are also covered in these regulations. RWS requires immediate action to bring any animal back into appropriate health when injured or ill if possible. No 'survival of the fittest,' raging infections, hobbled animals, or suffering to be ignored.

"How can they tell?" The farm management system is required to routinely monitor the condition of the sheep. This not only includes reading the body language of the sheep for stress, but the Body Condition Score (BCS) to help identify nutritional issues, injury, illness, or management problems (RWS 2.2, p. 17).

Not even the storage and equipment for feed and water are safe from the sharp eyes and pens of Textile Exchange inspectors for sheep farms and ranches with or wanting a Responsible Wool Certification. Routine monitoring and equipment maintenance on all machinery or equipment used to deliver feed or water also slides in to the Nutrition criteria. This includes cleaning, promptly repairing any issues, and ensuring any hazardous materials are stored away from feed storage with the equipment (RWS 2.2, p. 17).

Living Environment

No less important is ensuring that the sheep are kept in "an environment that provides the conditions… needed for health, safety, comfort, and normal behavior" (RWS 2.2, p. 19). Habitat matters for everything, even livestock-- no matter their end purpose. Along with what should be the basics- proper ventilation, sanitary conditions, proper protection from heat and cold, sound and maintained structure, dry bedding, and proper flooring (no slip-n-slide sheep!)- the standard demands more.

RWS requires that housing structures for sheep be inspected regularly and provide proper drainage. They also prohibit bedding from chemically treated wood sources. Pens are required to offer freedom of movement and space to lie comfortably in a normal resting posture- taking into account the size, age, type of sheep, and local environment. For this, a recommendation chart is offered with different types of sheep and the number of square meters or feet that should be offered- every base covered (RWS 2.2, pp. 19–20).

What's more, not only is long term close confinement (crates or tethering) prohibited beyond the minimum necessary to address a special management need like veterinary care, the animals must have access to a natural pasture. With exceptions in place for emergencies, severe weather and medical needs, it is stressed that time confined should be kept at what is necessary for safety and no more. Pastures must also have windbreaks, shade, and/or shelter for the animals available at all time- natural or artificial- with appropriate and regularly maintained fencing in order to protect sheep from weather and threat of predators (RWS 2.2, pp. 20–21).

Animal Management

A little bit of this, a little bit of that- if it doesn't fit neatly elsewhere, it's probably here. With a Desired Outcome described as having animals handled in a "way that promotes good health and prevents disease. Sick or injured animals are treated. Husbandry operations are carried in a way that minimizes pain and distress" (RWS 2.2, p. 22), it's no small wonder that these requirements and recommendations span a full 7 and 1/4 pages of the document. From record keeping to routine care, and parasite protocol to husbandry, this section is a doozy (RWS 2.2, pp. 22–28).

Breaking things down, the first several requirements address welfare inspections, management plans and documentation thereof, as well as treatment of sheep found unwell. Farmers are expected to routinely inspect all animals for signs of disease and production disorders, adjusting frequency as needed. Any ill or injured sheep must be immediately treated and documented, or if required, humanely euthanized. These records and plans must also include measures for prevention or control of parasites with assistance as needed from livestock veterinarians (RWS 2.2, pp. 22–24).

Naturally, this brings us to the one thing that literally everyone is (rightfully) clamoring over these days: mulesing. Under RWS, mulesing and Steining (freeze mulesing) are completely and inarguably prohibited from certification. This is a Critical status requirement. Those who hold a Ceased Mulesing status are eligible (RWS 2.2, p. 25). If you are unfamiliar with the procedure, many apologies for ruining your day with why this is an important rule. Mulesing is the prevention of flystrike by cutting away strips of wool-bearing skin from around the buttocks of sheep. When scar tissue forms there, wool no longer grows and can no longer trap urine or feces, thus attracting the blowflies causing the infection. Steining uses liquid nitrogen to the same effect. Note that these are quite different from crutching, which is shearing around the tail, anus, and reproductive regions of sheep- similar to a sanitary groom for pets- often used during lambing and is helpful for preventing flystrike but considered "less effective" as it must be done regularly with wool growth.

It is notable that other sheep husbandry best practices are covered in this subsection as well, including but not limited to requirements for:

• Castration
• Tail docking
• Substantial horn trimming, debudding, or dehorning
• Identification and marking
• Artificial breeding
• Lambing
• Euthanasia.

RWS states that any practices in this section that may be injurious only be conducted based on the welfare of individual animal needs after a risk/benefit analysis rather than as a standard for the flock. This allows for the health and betterment of the flock to rule rather than the habit of the farm (RWS 2.2, pp. 22–28).

So far, so sensible. Well nourished, sheltered, healthy sheep make for healthy, high quality wool. Sheep who aren't stressed in small spaces or harassed by their keepers or coyotes, who aren't hided for convenience, mean you can buy your fiber products guilt free. Happy animal, Happy Crafter. So why are there 2 more sections left? What else could possibly affect the welfare of your wonderful wooly benefactors?

Handling and Transport

A short and sweet, but vital section- so easily overlooked! That's right, there need to be regulations for actually handling the sheep too. Leaving nothing to chance, it is very clearly spelled out under the Handling and Transport expectations that human-animal relationships should be good and in place wherever the animals are being handled on and off the farm in order to protect their welfare.

What does that mean? Marked as Critical (for excellent reason) the sheep have to be treated with respect at all times.

No:

• Dragging
• Dropping
• pulling fleece/tail/horns
• dragging by the hind legs
• striking
• slamming sheep in gates

These extend doubly to more delicate sheep like pregnant ewes, young lambs, or injured ewes and rams. Electric prodders face a staunch ban in this same respect. The respect owed to flocks also extends into the treatment of sheep while using herding dogs, who must be kept well in hand and not push sheep who are cornered or blocked, and in the use of appropriate livestock guardian dogs for the environment and local predators (RWS 2.2, p. 31).

Finally, farmers are expected to be aware of death or injury caused by transport, keep clear records, and take action if those rates become too high. They are also expected to be aware of transport guidance, and the intention of traders and brokers who wish to buy their stock. RWS prohibits the knowing sale of sheep to brokers who wish to export for international slaughter. For you, this means you continue to keep that confidence in not only the proper treatment and low stress of the sheep, but also in the Chain of Custody that lead RWS Certified products to your door (RWS 2.2, pp. 30–31).

Management, Plans, and Procedures.

The last portion of Animal welfare and, arguably, one of the most important to ensure all the steps are taken to get the rest done. The expectations set out in this section intend to guide farmers to build out clear strategies and protocols that allow them to not only document and demonstrate compliance but safeguard the welfare of their livestock.

Critically listed are three requirements:

• all applicable land management and animal welfare legislation for the farmer's region must be followed
• ALL sheep on the farm must be under the RWS standards for certification
• farmers must give auditor full access to the farm and operations within scope of RWS including
  •   buildings
  •   land
  •   sheep
  •   documents
  •   workers

In short, legally operated farms that are fully capable of taking care of every sheep to standard, with full audit transparency for oversight are going to be the ones successful for RWS Certification. These sensible criteria work in harmony with their connected counterparts, requiring that the farmer be knowledgeable of both best practices and current RWS standards, emergency plans for animal welfare be available and in place, all external workers be made aware of relevant RWS standards, and regular training with records for internal workers.

Record keeping is specifically addressed here, in that all records are required to be maintained for a minimum of 5 years, including mortality records. The latter is monitored for expected range and for unexpected deaths or outbreaks, which should be investigated, monitored, and actions taken (RWS 2.2, pp. 32–33).

Largely administrative and not directly visible to the public, you may wonder: why explain it? It affects everything that has come before. This is the set of outlines that builds the requirements behind every worker's training schedule, every sheep's BCS routine check, every system that proves to the auditor that the farm meets RWS requirements for the care of the sheep providing your fiber. It is the backbone of everything outlined above.

Baling It Up Part 1 -- Key Takeaways for Animal Loving Yarn & Fiber Crafters

You made it! There was a lot to take in here, which is exactly why we're breaking up this deep dive into multiple parts. Here is the core of it all from part 1:

• The Responsible Wool Standard is an international, voluntary farming standard meant to better animal welfare, land stewardship, and social welfare within the Wool Industry.
• RWS covers the whole supply chain from the farm that raises the sheep, through all the processing, and up to the last business to business transaction.
• The Animal Welfare criteria covers Nutrition, Living Environment, Animal Management, Handling and Transport, and Management Plans, and Procedures.
• Mulesing and Steining are banned under RWS Certification (RWS 2.2, p. 25).
• The main goals of the Animal Welfare standards create healthy, well nourished, comfortable animals, with good human-animal relations.s.
• Documentation and adherence is CRITICAL for this standard as well, and is mandatorily maintained for a minimum of 5 years (RWS 2.2, pp. 32–33).

   

In short: these standards mean you can be as confident as humanly possible that the farms with products bearing the RWS logo are meeting the best practices for animal care in their industry. No clickbait, no hype, no slick-typed green washed quarter truth. We care about safe and happy sheep as much as you do, which is why we work with  Shaniko Wool Company- mentioned previously in our blog here.

From rich soft fiber to great quality natural yarn, you can check out some of our Shaniko merino offerings with these recommendations:

1.  If you love working a good, undyed fiber and have wanted to try out something in our  superwash, Happy Valley Top is a great way to go!

2. Want a fiber that's already dyed, easy to work with and blends like a dream? Definitely check our Roanoke Island in its Dyed form!

3. Prefer your yarn already spun? That's fine too! We have this worsted weight, that's 100% Shaniko merino and great for a pop of color!

 Next month we'll take a closer look at Shaniko Wool Company and the recent results from their Carbon Initiative study in preparation for RWS #2- Land Management!

 

 

 

[1]: After farm level, the certification falls under an umbrella of Responsible Animal Fiber Standards, which also includes the Responsible Mohair Standard.

Source used for page references: Textile Exchange, Responsible Wool Standard 2.2 (RAF‑101a‑V2.2), effective October 1, 2021.