Isobel Davies and one of her flock

For several years Isobel Davies has been working to bring attention to animal welfare standards in wool production as well support, create markets for, and generally help the ailing British Textile Industry.

Using wool from her own 600 strong rescued flock, Isobel secured a deal to break into the mainstream with her own Izzy Lane diffusion range appearing in Tesco stores nationwide. Izzy Lane was all set to deliver the very first wool cloth bearing an animal welfare standard.

The cloth would be made in Britain using some of the last remaining scourers, spinners, dyers, weavers and finishers in the country, located in areas now depressed and with high unemployment as a result of the demise of the Textile industry.

It was a glimmer of hope in a struggling sector: British Wool heading to supermarket rails for the first time – and with an animal welfare standard to boot.

In its her initial work, Isobel was supported by employees of the British Wool Marketing Board who helped to identify farmers meeting her strict criteria, which included:

• No sheep from the flock to ever be live-exported
• No sheep to ever be sold in livestock markets, with the exception of breeding stock
• No sheep to ever be transported for more than 120 miles or a maximum time of 3 hours, with the exception of breeding stock

Each farmer trading in wool, by law has to send their product to the British Wool Marketing Board. The downside of this is that, once it arrives, it is stored in bulk and loses its source and identity. It is then auctioned off to the wool merchants. Losing heart and motivation from being paid so little, many farmers just burn and bury the wool they produce as despatching it in this way doesn’t even cover shearing costs.

As the law demands, the wool for Isobel’s project was sent to the wool board in the required manner – all tagged up and ready to be processed. But at the 11th hour the British Wool Board decided not to endorse the use of animal welfare standards in the promotion of British Wool as it didn’t think it was fair to those farmers who do not meet the criteria.

Says Isobel

I am extremely disappointed with the Wool Board’s decision. I can’t see any good reason why they should reject it and a hundred reasons why they should embrace it. In my view it was a win, win, win scenario at this dismal time for the UK economy and British industry and of course animal welfare needs to be perpetually on the agenda. There is no logic in their argument since there are dozens of welfare standards which apply to, meat, for instance the RSPCA Freedom Food, why should it be any different for wool. They are denying consumers the choice to buy British Wool and to buy wool from an identifiable source with welfare at its heart, at affordable prices.

Contact the British Wool Board  – mail@britishwool.org.uk