The New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) and brands Allbirds, Icebreaker, and Smartwool announced they are working collectively with 167 sheep growers to create the first regenerative wool platform that represents 2.4 million acres in New Zealand to tackle the impact of the global fashion industry which is responsible for 10 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
“We are on a journey of continuous improvement that recognizes and celebrates progress over perfection. Through our industry-leading carbon footprint work with our leading brand partners, and with support from the Ministry for Primary Industries, we know on-farm emissions represent approximately 60 percent of the emissions associated with woolen products and are our biggest opportunity to lower our impact,” said John Brakenridge, NZM CEO. “ZQRX is an important and necessary evolution of our ethical wool program, ZQ. Through the adoption of regenerative practices that both store more carbon and emit less, we could reduce our on-farm emissions down to zero.”
Building on the success of NZM’s ethical wool platform, ZQ, ZQRX is the next evolution on its quest to doing what is right for people and the planet. Climate change and greenhouse gas emissions are addressed within the ZQRX framework, with regenerative farming practices representing an opportunity to store carbon and slow climate change. The ZQRX index includes the foundational tenants of ZQ, such as animal welfare and social responsibility, and a focus on environmental issues that directly reduce carbon emission and improve biodiversity, including waste, water quality and soil health.
The ZQRX index is currently being applied to 167 farms in New Zealand, representing over two million acres of land, resulting in carbon being retained and stored in soil and vegetation, with additional animal welfare social responsibility benefits.
“The ZQRX index addresses the health of the ecosystem and farming communities, rewarding the value of growers who are committed to regenerative agricultural practices,” said Brakenridge. “ZQRX is the start of a global movement toward brands, businesses and growers working together to address critical global issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss. We dream of a day when all wool is farmed with regenerative practices.”
To generate a movement of this scale, Merino wool industry brands Allbirds, Icebreaker, and Smartwool are working collectively to support the ZQRX platform and address climate change’s immediate challenges.
“As we’ve seen through 2020, swift sea-change can only be achieved through collective action; together, competitors have enough influence to right the ship when it comes to the universal threat of climate change. With ZQRX, we are backing a movement toward a regenerative future, one that prioritizes the planet and supports our unwavering pursuit to make better things in a better way,” said Allbirds Co-founder Tim Brown.
Icebreaker and Smartwool helped found the original ZQ platform 13 years ago, while Allbirds, who also source ZQ ethical wool, will be the first fashion brand to label every item produced with its carbon footprint.
“We believe in continual improvement, and when you know better, you do better. That’s why we’ve been driving innovative sustainable Merino wool solutions at every level of our business for over 25 years,” said Jen McLaren, Smartwool brand president. “ZQRX is the next ‘better’ way and important advancement in moving our industry forward. By working together, we can affect change at scale.”
Combined, the three brands represent over 4 million pounds of wool. Together, the brands have committed to sourcing New Zealand Merino through the ZQRX platform, ensuring the regenerative program’s successful launch.
“We’ve always believed nature has the answers, and our decisions need to have respect for the greater ecosystem. We are constantly impressed by how farmers care for their land, care for their animals and care for their people. They are all interlinked. Our growers have already made strides, over generations, to farm regeneratively. ZQRX both honors these steps and provides us a platform to measure, track improvements and push beyond,” said Greg Smith, president, Icebreaker. “While there is no one solution to the climate challenges we face, the ZQRX platform empowers farmers to work with nature to improve continuously. It is one step we, collectively, as the world’s leading Merino wool brands, can take to change the world and leave the planet better off than we found it.”
