17 September 2024 - Lack of leadership, vested interests and wasted tax-payer funds have led to Australia falling behind global standards and remaining the only country to still practice live lamb cutting (also known as mulesing), despite industry commitments to end the practice over two decades ago.

The Australian Alliance for Animals, FOUR PAWS and Humane Society International Australia have joined forces to call out systemic issues within the wool industry in a new published report, The Broken Promise: The Australian wool industry’s failure to end live lamb cutting, and why government must step in, echoing concerns raised by segments of wool growers themselves on the lack of leadership in changing times.

In 2004, Australian wool industry leaders unanimously committed to phasing out live lamb cutting by 2010, in response to international criticism and the threat of a retailer boycott. In 2009, however, just one year before the deadline, the industry abandoned this promise.

Now 20 years on from the initial promise, Australia remains the only country still practising live lamb cutting, tarnishing our international reputation and leaving wool producers vulnerable to market disruption as hundreds of fashion brands commit to no longer using wool from live lamb cut sheep. It is estimated that 140 million lambs have experienced the mutilation since 2010 as a result of the broken promise.

The report features insights from wool growers who have taken the lead on their own and are successfully breeding flystrike-resistant sheep as a humane and effective solution, offering full body protection from fly strike. This ends their need to use live lamb cutting, which is viewed as a cheap and fast way to prevent flystrike, but is out-of-date, inflicts animal suffering, and is fast becoming a non-negotiable issue for many brands sourcing wool.

These peak bodies are heavily influenced by wool producers who continue to practice live lamb cutting, many who show no signs of stopping. These vested interests and a lack of clear leadership mean that a phase-out has not been adequately led by the industry, and it’s highly unlikely that it ever will be.

The three organisations will now be taking the report findings to state agricultural ministers to lobby for decisive action. RSPCA Australia supports the recommendations within the report.

With over 330 brands now sourcing at least a portion of their wool as certified live lamb cut free (non-mulesed) or having made a time bound commitment to do so, the public sentiment is clear. Almost 90 brands including Adidas, Hugo Boss, Zara and Mango are also taking it a step further, by publicly signing FOUR PAWS Brand Letter of Intent calling on the Australian wool industry to make the transition. Should they not be able to get supply from Australia they will go elsewhere, and some are.

It’s time for growers to be steered in the right direction to align with what the community wants, and for the sake of the 10 million lambs that suffer annually. 

Australian wool growers:

• “Australia is the only country left where mulesing is still legal and that is a very sad state of affairs.” Mark Murphy, Queensland wool producer.
• "It is well established from both research and everyday observation that heavily wrinkled sheep are much more likely to be struck, if for no other reason than the retention of skin moisture within the wrinkles.” Andrew Greenwood, Principal, Eildon Springs Superfine and Fine Wool Merino Stud.
• "Society moves, and we have to move with it." Ian Trevethan, wool producer.
• “The market for wool has completely changed from what it was 50 or 100 years ago. The future will involve looking at the market first, and the market overall is looking for a product that’s ethically produced, that’s sustainable, and sees people doing, and attempting to do, the right thing by their animals, their land and their people.” Australian wool producer, Doug Wright.

Brands:

• "…we are facing special requests from our clients for fabrics to be not made of mulesed wool and also [wool that isn't] Aussie. That is because of the mulesing issue. The market, especially from the [United] States, is asking for non-mulesed wool." Davide Fontaneto, European wool buyer.
• “Unfortunately, some of the wool qualities we’re after are still not widely available as certified non-mulesed, which is why we have also decided to incorporate the use of recycled wool to expand our portfolio of sustainably sourced wool.’ Jennifer Lui, Vice President of Public Relations and Sustainability, Esprit.

Industry:

• “Europe thinks mulesing is a barbaric activity and the reality is that painkillers are not going to cut it.” — Su McCluskey, Australia’s special representative for agriculture speaking at the Queensland Rural Press Club in 2023
• "The power of selection and breeding to improve livestock welfare is enormous, it is a win:win for farmers and the animals, lower cost production systems and happier and healthier livestock.  A great example is the breeders who have successfully bred away from the need for mulesing and reduced the incidence of flystrike.  This is just the beginning of the tools we have to select healthier animals, and they are getting better all the time." Mark Ferguson, livestock consultant, Next-Gen Agri

The Australian Alliance for Animals, FOUR PAWS, Humane Society International Australia, and RSPCA Australia are united in their opposition to live lamb cutting (also known as mulesing) and are working to end this practice, promoting the use of genetics to breed sheep that are naturally resistant to flystrike. Our efforts on this issue aim to successfully prevent flystrike and promote the humane treatment of Australian animals.