M.J. Bale has completed a world-first commercial trial to create carbon neutral wool, in partnership with Kingston Farm and Sea Forest Tasmania.
48 of Kingston Farm's Merino ewes were involved in the 300-day trial, which aimed to reduce sheep methane emissions to undetectable levels via daily feeds of asparagopsis seaweed.
The trial was informed by the CSIRO's pioneering research into the use of native asparagopsis seaweed as a food supplement to disrupt sheep enteric fermentation.
According to Australia's National Greenhouse Accounts 2014, enteric fermentation from ruminant livestock (sheep, cattle and goats) contributes approximately 10% of total greenhouse-gas emissions across Australia.
Speaking on the trial, M.J. Bale founder and CEO Matt Jensen said that it is now up to the brand to ensure the carbon neutral wool is made into a garment in a sustainable way.
"On behalf of everyone at M.J. Bale, we would like to thank Sea Forest Tasmania and Simon Cameron of Kingston farm for what has been a game-changing collaboration.
"In particular, I'd like to acknowledge the enormous effort Simon has put into producing what is the world's first Carbon Neutral Wool.
"It’s on our shoulders now to make sure this fleece has the lightest footprint possible through its journey towards becoming a garment," he said.
In addition to their usual grazing diet, 12 of the 48 Kingston ewes received a daily feed of barley and asparagopsis made by sustainable Tasmanian seaweed producer Sea Forest for 300 consecutive days.
The next 12 sheep received asparagopsis for the first 150 days then were switched to a barley-only supplement.
Another 12 ewes were fed barley for the first 150 days before switching to asparagopsis and barley for the remaining 150 days.
The remaining 12 Merinos were fed just a barley supplement for 300 days.
The result is 35 kilos of pure carbon neutral wool and 70 kilos of 150-day asparagopsis-fed wool.
According to Kingston farmer Simon Cameron, shearing of the trial sheep took 90 minutes to complete, with all sheep in great health and condition.
"For farms like Kingston, sheep have always had an important role in maintaining biodiversity.
"Now, through the use of asparagopsis seaweed, we are learning how to help them produce the noble fibre that wool is in the most sustainable way," he said.
According to wool classer, Evelyn Archer, the carbon neutral fleece achieves the same standard as Kingston's regular wool.
The wool is now in the laboratory for official testing and classing.
The University of Tasmania is compiling a report on the ewe's welfare and the trial’s data analysis, of which M.J. Bale hopes to have the results by the end of July 2021.