The National Retail Federation sent a letter to Australia’s Agriculture Minister Tony Burke last week, asking the Federal Government to intervene and use its influence to address the mulesing concerns.

“It is with growing alarm that we send this letter to express our concern and frustration with the Australian wool industry and particularly its marketing and research arm, AWI, regarding efforts to address the mulesing issue,” NRF vice president Erik Autor said in the letter.

Signatures on the letter included Gap, Liz Claiborne, Nordstrom, Phillips-Van Heusen and Macy’s. The NRF noted that AWI issued a declaration of commitments on behalf of the wool industry in 2005, which promised to replace the practice of mulesing with a commercially-viable alternative by the end of 2010.

“It appeared the Australian industry was well on the way to replacing surgical mulesing by the 2010 target date, and over the longer term to institute an effective genetics program to breed bare-breech sheep,” Autor said.

“Then unexpectedly, AWI announced in July 2009 that it was effectively abandoning the statement of commitments – promises that we had relied upon. AWI’s decision to abandon the declaration and its internal problems this late in the game has left us in a very difficult position.

“As a result, many companies in North America and Europe have directed their suppliers to use non-mulesed wool, or are actively seeking sources of non-mulesed wool including from outside Australia.”

The NRF called for the development of a “roadmap” to resolve the mulesing issue and encourage the listing and certification of all wool sold at auction as mulesed, non-mulesed or ceased mulesing to provide effective traceability for retailers and brands.