Ethical products get the tag

NATIONAL: The Australian wool industry's campaign to phase out the practice of mulesing by 2010 has finally hit the retail sector.

Research and development firm Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) has released a swing tag identifying products which have been sourced from woolgrowers who no longer undertake mulesing. Available from woolisbest.com/swingtag.html, the tag is targeted specifically at manufacturers and retailers.  AWI said the responsibility will be on the users of the tag to ensure they are not misrepresenting products for sale.

The organisation won a landmark commitment from animal rights movement People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in June 2007, which agreed to stop threatening global retailers over the practice of mulesing until 31 December 2010.  AWI said the latest release was part of the settlement between AWI and PETA,  requiring the organisation to launch nationwide programs aimed at phasing out the practice.