Responsible Wool Standard production

In response to the growing global demand for RWS (Responsible Wool Standard) certified wool, Estancias Puppo S.A, in Uruguay has increased the availability of these certified wools, especially high-quality fine wool, by incorporating a larger number of producers into their group to offer more volume to their overseas clients.

Based on information recently published by Textile Exchange, data about RWS certified wool indicates that in 2023 nearly 80 mkg of greasy wool was certified in the main producing countries, representing a 12.5% increase compared to the total produced the previous year. This is according to Puppo Estancias, exporter of greasy wool from Uruguay.

 Moreover, although there are several global programs that certify different standards, the RWS Protocol is the one with the highest production volume. The highest percentage of RWS certified wool is Merino, and 28 million hectares of land have been certified worldwide.

In Uruguay, for the year 2023, it is notable that 34% of the total wool produced is RWS certified. The production of fine wool has been increasing (as a percentage of the production of other breeds produced in the country) over the past few years. In this sense, if we only consider the production of fine wool in Uruguay, the percentage of RWS certified wool would be higher.

Uruguay is, therefore, the third country with the highest percentage of RWS certified wool relative to total wool production, behind The Falkland Islands, which has already certified 94% of its production, and South Africa with 43%. Following them are Argentina (25%), Chile (15%), New Zealand (14%), and Australia (6%).

Source: Estancias Puppo S.A