Marks & Spencer chooses Australian wool
Melbourne-based wool marketing group The Merino Company (TMC) and value chain partner Ciel Textiles have been awarded a contract to supply the multi-national retailer organic wool for its men's knitwear program.
In all, the two groups will deliver in excess of 140 tonnes - with an average dimeter of 19.5 micron - of organic merino wool between now and November 2008.
It is understood the bulk of the wool originates from Tasmania with contributions from organic wool growers based in Queensland.
While the value of the contract is unknown, the first drop is expected to occur next month with a second delivery early next year.
The move is part of a widely-publicised plan by M&S to achieve more sustainable business practices by 2012.
The £200 million ($A473 million) plan will see the retailer work with customers and suppliers to tackle such issues as climate change, waste reduction, natural resource protection and ethical trade across all aspects of its empire.
TMC marketing manager Mark Suttie said the collaboration came about after TMC held talks with Graham Burden, M&S' sustainable textile and cotton specialist.
It was further cemented when Burden, who also sits on the board of Organic Exchange, spent time on mainland Australia.
Suttie said contracts such as the one involving M&S were of enormous benefit to the industry with the growers involved facing increased demand for their product.
"[The benefits are] that the growers involved get stable and sustainable prices for their wool; certainty about their wool the volatile commodity market cannot give them. [Our company' works to build relationships between groups of wool growers and customers - once this relationship is in place, growers get even more certainty about their future."
He said the M&S contract included branded posters, swing tickets and point-of-sale materials supplied by TMC.
Queensland organic farmer Mac Drysdale described having his wool used in such a manner as "very satisfying".
"To have my organic wool marketed directly to a retailer such as Marks & Spencer with branding that could have an individual property name on the swing tag is an unbelievable achievement."
Suttie said TMC had earmarked Europe, Japan and North America as key target markets.
By Tracey McEldowney