According to the animal protection organization Four Paws, lamb mutilation (mulesing) is still one of the fashion industry’s darkest secrets. Of the over 1.2 billion sheep used each year to meet global demand for wool – the most commonly used animal fiber – more than ten million lambs are mutilated by this painful practice.
Things are different, as it is the selective breeding of sheep with excessive skin folds (in order to produce more wool) that triggers the problem of fly maggot infestation. The solution: breeding sheep with smooth skin and more natural skin fullness. In addition to proper animal husbandry practices, this increases resistance to fly strikes.
Australia is lagging behind
While countries such as Argentina, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, USA and Uruguay have either banned mulesing or do not practice it, Australia is the only wool-producing country that still adheres to the practice. This is tragic as 80 percent of the wool used for clothing comes from Australia.
“What is alarming is that not even 20 percent of Australian wool is declared to be “lamb mutilation free” – which means nothing other than that probably well over half of the wool used in fashion worldwide comes from sheep that were subjected to this painful procedure as lambs,” summarizes Four Paws.
In a new report, the animal protection organization published the results of its study of 102 fashion companies from the outdoor, fast fashion and high fashion sectors. For “The suffering behind the labels. How fashion companies keep consumers in the dark about lamb mutilation” their publicly available information was used, i.e. websites and procurement guidelines. Likewise online and in-store product information (especially on hangtags) in stationary stores in eleven countries (Australia, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, South Africa, USA).
The result: More than two thirds (67 percent) of fashion companies are not transparent when it comes to the issue of lamb mutilation. “They have no public policy or no labels on the product – or both,” says Four Paws.
Transparency gap
However, the majority (84 percent) of the companies examined take a public stance against lamb mutilation; More than half (58 percent) said they had already started using certified wool that can demonstrably eliminate mulesing or were only using this wool.
However, only a third (33 percent) indicate this through relevant certifications where it matters most – in the points of sale.
“As a result, when purchasing wool fashion in most fashion stores or online shops, consumers lack a transparent and comprehensible basis of information to take animal welfare into account when making their purchasing decision,” sums up the animal protection organization.
According to a survey of almost 11,000 adults in the above-mentioned countries commissioned by Vier Pfoten and carried out by YouGov in 2024, this information would be desirable. Once respondents were told what mulesing was all about, four fifths (80 percent) wanted fashion companies to eliminate the practice from their supply chains.
How did the fashion companies examined perform?
The 102 companies examined were evaluated according to a traffic light system: “Green” means that a company uses 100 percent certified wool “without lamb mutilation” and communicates which certificates it works with to reliably guarantee this.
13 companies (almost 13 percent) fall into this category of pioneers, including the German fashion retailers Olymp Bezner KG and Tchibo, as well as the outdoor brands Arc’teryx, Mammut and Patagonia. The Bulgarian brands DiKa, Junona and Teodor were able to improve from “Red” to “Green”; either by publishing new, stricter wool sourcing guidelines or significantly tightening existing ones. In addition, they now mark corresponding certificates in the product information of their online shops.
“We are pleased about this recognition, but we have not yet reached our goal,” emphasizes Johann Trischberger, operational managing director of OLYMP Bezner KG. “Already 98.7 percent of our wool comes from mulesing-free sources. We are working hard to achieve complete exclusion. Our commitment is intended to give consumers clear guidance and show that responsibility and fashion can go hand in hand.”
A rating of “yellow” was given to companies that are in the process of switching to muelsing-free wool by 2030 at the latest and have also communicated this publicly, as well as information about which certificates the company works with to reliably ensure the exclusion of lamb mutilation.
30 companies (29 percent) fell into this area, including Adidas, Brax, Breuninger (for own brands), Calida, Jack Wolfskin, Paul Kehl, Peek & Cloppenburg Düsseldorf (for own brands) in the DACH area as well as Abercrombie & Fitch, H&M, Ralph Lauren and Zara.
Half still need to do a lot more
An “Orange” rating means that the company under review has taken various steps but does not demonstrate a decisive commitment. For example, relevant certificates that reliably exclude mulesing are not communicated, there is no schedule for switching to mulesing-free wool or the target value is below 100 percent.
33 companies fell into this area, making up almost a third (32 percent). Burberry, Coop, Decathlon, Ernsting’s Family, Falke, Gap, Marks & Spencer, Peek & Cloppenburg Hamburg, Schöffel, S. Oliver and Strellson are some prominent names here.
A rating of “Red” means that the company examined uses wool, but has no position to exclude mulesing and does not communicate any relevant measures.
Bringing up the rear with “red” were 26 companies, including Ann Taylor, Benetton, Daphne, Fabienne Chapot, Hema and Superdry. The absolute laggard is the US fashion group Michael Kors with 0 out of 100 points.
“Although the company sells numerous wool products, there are no public guidelines on animal welfare or wool procurement. You will also look in vain for a position on lamb mutilation. No information on animal welfare could be found online or in brick-and-mortar stores, and multiple inquiries from Vier Pfoten went unanswered,” the animal welfare organization explains the assessment. “For an international fashion brand of this size, such a lack of transparency and responsibility is unacceptable,” she added.
The way forward
All companies examined were contacted by Four Paws before the results were announced and almost two thirds (65 percent) actively worked with the organization during the research.
A quarter (25 percent) improved their transparency in direct response to the research, such as through stricter guidelines and/or clearer product labeling.
In response to the results, 14 companies have also joined an open letter calling for an end to mulesing, including Olymp. They support the “Declaration of Intent Against Lamb Mutilation”, in which over 140 international fashion brands are already appealing to the Australian wool industry to completely end this practice by 2030 at the latest. “The method, which has been heavily criticized worldwide, is not compatible with modern animal welfare standards,” said Trischberger.
At the end of the report, Four Paws offers a roadmap for companies to end lamb mutilation. The organization emphasizes that they not only protect the animals, but also maintain the trust of their customers and make their business model future-proof and their supply chains ready for any tightening of regulations.
“Four Paws calls on fashion companies to make a clear and timely commitment to exclusively using certified wool that excludes lamb mutilation through full traceability and regular audits of all farms. This – combined with appropriate transparency at product level – means consumers are not misled and lambs receive the protection they deserve.”