Smartwool Requires Wool Suppliers To End "Mulesing"

SmartWool, a company whose wool clothing we've featured previously, says it will pay New Zealand merino farmers a premium to end the practice of mulesing their sheep. About half of New Zealand's merino farmers are believed to use the technique where skin is cut from a sheep's backside to reduce flystrike, a potentially deadly condition. SmartWool has said it will buy $NZ40 million worth of wool over the next seven years, but it wants its New Zealand suppliers to stop using mulesing by the end of this year. Mulesing is a common practice in Australia where it has been targeted in a campaign by animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) which has pressured large clothing chains to boycott Australian merino wool. This Women's Lightweight Zip-T Shirt by Smartwool is available from BackCountry for $74.95.