About the Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme
The Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme (AWSS) connects Australian wool growers with selling agents, buyers, processors and brands from around the world who share a common vision - of a wool industry that can celebrate and specify the highest standards of sustainability, integrity, and clip preparation, using technology to improve efficiency and enable traceability.
Developed for and owned by the Australian wool industry, through the Australian Wool Exchange Ltd (AWEX), the Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme provides credible, digital traceability from farm to first stage processing, and means on-farm practices have been adopted and can be verified for responsible environmental stewardship, wellbeing of the sheep, care for people, customers, community and industry and high-quality wool preparation standards.
An Australian industry scheme
AWSS is an Australian scheme that is fit-for-purpose for Australia's unique landscape and production systems, stringent regulatory standards, and industry best practices.
AWSS is managed by AWEX, an Australian industry not-for-profit service provider. AWSS leverages AWEX’s reputation for independent quality and integrity services, to provide certification regarding an Australian sheep farming operation’s sustainability performance in caring for natural resources, sheep, people, customers and communities, and industry, whilst upholding Australia’s world-renowned wool clip preparation standards.
Our purpose
To inspire and inform Australian wool growers on world-class sustainability practices and provide assurances to the global supply chain on the integrity and quality of Australia’s sustainably grown wool.
On-farm focus
The Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme (AWSS) is a response to the global market's demand for sustainable, traceable, and high-quality wool – and responds in a way that reflects the Australian wool producing landscape.
The scope of AWSS covers on-farm sustainability performance focused on demonstrating:
- the responsible stewardship of natural resources,
- health and wellbeing of sheep,
- care for people, customers and communities,
- vitality and resilience of industry,
- quality clip preparation, data integrity and traceability.
What types of certification does the Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme offer?
Wool growers, whose on-farm practices meet the requirements, and who maintain evidence of their farming and wool preparation practices, as outlined in the AWSS Interim Grower Standards, are eligible to get a Certificate of their Compliance for the properties against either:
- SustainaWOOL or
- ResponsiWOOL.
Both meet the same sustainability standards across the board and differ only in one aspect of caring for sheep, which is breech modification status for flystrike risk management.
This allows AWSS to be inclusive of different wool production systems in Australia, whilst importantly having clear separation for customers for whom purchasing non-mulesed wool is important.
