IWTO Plans a United Front

AFTER three days of international wool talks, the question is whether the world's biggest wool powers, in their quest to improve the textile and trade environment, have actually made any headway.

At the 78th International Wool Textile Organistaion congress in Frankfurt last week, the group of 217 delegates heard about a commitment from Australian Wool Innovation to pull wool through the pipeline via revamped company marketing wool once again under the Woolmark brand using leveraged funds.

United Kingdom wool processor Brian Whitaker, said an assurance that AWI was seeking to work with international boards and interested parties in promoting wool at a time when the entire textile wool industry was feeling the global financial pinch, was news well received.

"This was a very welcome change of heart since in the past the emphasis has been to try and differentiate one Merino from another countries Merino," Mr Whitaker said.

IWTO chairman Guenther Beier agreed: "I warmly welcome AWI's decision to include other grower nation's in future strategic discussions."

And then in a statement: "I applaud the stance taken by AWI to commit further funding to the concept of business to business to consumer marketing."

As part of a lengthy program list, IWTO members told industry delegates to continue pushing for legislation for Merino labeling requirements in Europe and Japan, and get technical standards for wool compiled to cater for interior textile production.

The group agreed legislation in Europe within two years was not unforeseeable, and progress was underway on interior textile standards.

Peter Morgan, Australian Wool Industries Secretariat executive officer, said such moves would protect the Merino brand and improve the competitiveness of wool in the interior textile market.

Delegates continued to embrace a goal to continue the effort to promote wool as the world's leading eco-friendly fibre and agreed it must remain a high priority to keep apace with changing corporate social responsibility agendas.

"Wool used for interiors, apparel and lifestyle has unrivalled natural and sustainable characteristics," Mr Beier said.

He said IWTO's next major step was to engage the retail industry to a far greater degree than has been the case in the past and that plans were already at a preliminary stage to have this take place at the next Conference to be held in May 2010 in Rambouillet, France.

Much of the feedback focused on a subdued congress without conjecture that discussed openly the difficult economic conditions confronting the wool industry and the genuine retail trend towards natural fibres.

"Business confidence is low in Europe given the recession," AWI's chief executive Brenda McGahan told Rural Press after the congress.

"Winter is another opportunity for wool in Europe, I was in Milan last week and it was pleasing to see wool in the new season fashions both in the next to skin finer wools and the felted finishes and bulkier garments for outerwear."

The IWTO visitors endorsed the presence of 17 Chinese delegates, and for the first time a Chinese representative sat on the technology and standards committee.

"There has been a very strong move within IWTO of the need to have greater involvement of China," Mr Morgan said.

Mr Morgan said there "was no real discussion" about what might happen after 2010 on the mulesing deadline.

But, he added: "Last year it was very controversial, this year Dr Meredith Sheil gave a presentation in which she described progress being made and the work going into removing the reliance of mulesing on prevention of breech strike. This was well received."
Dr Sheil was invited to address the IWTO congress on the ongoing developments in animal welfare science.