Responsible Wool Standard
Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is a global voluntary standard that addresses the well-being of sheep and land management practices, providing key differentiation and complete traceability of wool.
OIA, leading certification company, audits each stage of the supply chain to ensure that all program requirements are met.
What are the RWS goals?
- Provide an industrial tool to identify the best agricultural practices;
- Ensure that the wool comes from sheep treated responsibly;
- Ensure that farms follow improved land management methods that protect the health of soil, biodiversity and native species.
The standard includes animal welfare requirements that must be met in order for the farms to be certified. The criteria are designed to support the five freedoms for animal welfare under human control. These include:
- freedom from hunger and thirst;
- freedom from discomfort;
- freedom from pain, injury or illness;
- freedom from fear and anguish;
- freedom to express normal behavior
The products can contain 100% certified wool or blends ranging from 5% to 99% certified wool. Only products that contain 100% certified wool can be labeled with the RWS logo.
What advantages does it have?
- Protects animal welfare
- Preserves the health of the earth
- Traceability of the supply chain
- Certification
- Secure communication
How is the certification process?
- The process starts when the producer introduces to OIA the project to be certified.
- After the certification request and signature of contract between OIA and the customer, there is an exchange of documents and information as required by the certification program.
- After the inspection, an inspection report is made and there may or may not appear non-compliances. The customer is certified after a positive report without non-compliances.
- Then, the cycle restarts for the re-certification.
Accreditations
