2005 News
Timberland: No boycott of Australian wool
The US retailer Timberland is NOT boycotting Australian wool as promoted by animal rights group People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Despite PETA's claims, the company has given the Australian Wool and Sheep Industry Taskforce unequivocal assurance that it is not joining the PETA campaign.
Taskforce Chairman and National Farmers' Federation President, Mr Peter Corish today stressed that journalists must be careful with statements issued by PETA on behalf of other organisations.
"PETA in the past has made similar inaccurate claims about other companies which in fact have not joined the boycott," Mr Corish said.
"This situation is similar to US retailer J.Crew and British retailer New Look which have given no indication of joining a boycott despite PETA's constant use of their name.
"On the contrary, both these companies have said the opposite to us. Neither has joined the PETA boycott.
"New Look told us as far back as December that they had emailed PETA again, telling PETA that New Look is not boycotting Australian Wool.
"We have also talked to J.Crew a number of times. It is not involved in a boycott."
PETA has continually shown that it is willing to use misleading claims and publicity stunts to promote its smear campaign against Australia's important livestock industries.
"Any statement made by PETA needs to be treated very cautiously and the facts of their claims need to be checked," Mr Corish said.
"While PETA continues to focus on trickery and media headlines, Australia's sheep and wool growers will get on with the serious job of caring for their livestock and funding ongoing research into the further development of best management practices."