"Farm and enterprise management actively enhances soil health, biodiversity, and water quality, manages greenhouse gas emissions, and increases farm productivity and resilience, ensuring long-term sustainability and environmental stewardship."
Wool is a natural, biodegradable, renewable fibre that can support environmental sustainability goals. Australian wool growing enterprises have unique opportunities to employ sustainable and regenerative practices that enhance biodiversity, improve soil health and fertility, and contribute to carbon sequestration.
It is critical that Operators monitor and measure the impact of livestock operations on their natural resources and use this to inform decisions on implementation of practices that aim to optimise the condition, and address degradation risks, of their natural capital.
The Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme requires growers to evidence practices maintaining or improving natural resources, acknowledging the importance of:
Individualised Ecosystem Management - Each property is unique and typically contains a diversity of landform, soils, and biodiversity.
Long-term Environmental Stewardship - Management emphasis should be on land stewardship, where the farm is managed in such a way as to leave it in a healthier, more productive, resilient, and biodiverse state for the next steward or generation.
Adoption of Sustainable Practices - There are established practices that support the ongoing sustainability of farming land – growers are encouraged to develop the knowledge and skills to implement these practices effectively and successfully.
Outcomes
Risks to the environment are identified and managed.
Animal health and crop pasture protection chemicals are stored, handled, applied and managed safely and responsibly and in accordance with legal requirements.
Soil health and functionality is enhanced through sustainable land management practices.
Biodiverse ecological communities are measured and monitored to ensure they are protected and enhanced.
Water resources are used responsibly and efficiently to maintain quality and availability.
Net GHG emissions are limited to minimise climate change impacts.
Meeting this requirement
Owners / managers of AWSS-certified properties have committed to the AWSS Caring for our environment outcomes supported by declarations and evidence regarding their environmental resource base management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Every property with an AWSS Certificate of Compliance has completed a successful desktop audit with their application including Operator declarations and commitments to the AWSS Grower Standard. A successful annual desktop audit is a condition of certification.
Desktop compliance reviews of the Australian auction catalogue are undertaken by AWEX each week.
Wool lots offered for sale as either SustainaWOOL (Scheme code 'SW') or ResponsiWOOL (Scheme code 'RE') are audited for current and correct certification, and against quality and integrity requirements.
On-farm inspections of Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme certified properties are carried out regularly.
This is currently undertaken by professional inspectors from the Australian Wool Exchange and will soon be moving to a third-party verifying entity.
Yes. The AWSS standard regarding caring for the environment reflects the belief that to be environmentally sustainable, on-farm practices must include regenerative environmental practices.
To meet the caring for the environment pillar, AWSS growers use regenerative practices known to nurture and restore soil health, protect water resources and biodiversity, and enhance their farms productivity, profitability, and resilience to climate change.
The Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme (AWSS) connects Australian wool growers with brokers, 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.
The Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme offers two types of certification: SustainaWOOL and ResponsiWOOL.
Both meet our sustainability standards across the board and differ only in one aspect of caring for sheep, which is breech modification status.
This allows the Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme to be inclusive of different wool production systems in Australia, while importantly having clear separation for customers for whom purchasing non-mulesed wool is important.
To maximise competition and market access for their wool by managing and maintaining their properties, businesses, and the animals in their care, using world-class and recognised sustainable practices that help deliver ongoing viability and success of their enterprises and that of the Australian wool industry.
As an Australian sustainability scheme, the program aligns with key Australian wool industry programs, minimising duplication, and inefficiency of on-farm practice verification.
Using digital AWEX services and innovations such as WoolClip and eBale, choosing to be part of the Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme can give the wool grower, their selling agent and buyers access to credible, fast, and cost-effective certification for lots of wool from a compliant property both at auction or privately sold and post-sale.
