2005 News
Nordstrom continues to source Merino wool
A United States newspaper article has reported that US retailer, Nordstrom, has agreed to give purchasing preference to suppliers who provide wool from unmulesed sheep.
The Wool and Sheep Industry Taskforce this morning made contact with executives at Nordstrom’s headquarters in Seattle, USA.
“Nordstrom understands the industry is committed to phasing out mulesing by 2010 and that we are moving as quickly as possible to find an alternative treatment to prevent Merino deaths from flystrike,” said Robert Pietsch, President of WoolProducers, on behalf of the Taskforce.
“The company is adamant it is not joining the extremist PETA campaign, but has said to us it would simply prefer to buy wool from unmulesed sheep.”
An independent study by the McKinnon Project has estimated that about 95% of Merinos in Australia are mulesed. The Taskforce explained to Nordstrom, as it has explained to a number of other retailers, that it is nearly impossible to buy wool from unmulesed Merino sheep.