The traceability of the wool journey is increasingly important to wool buyers, so they can in turn pass on this information to the end-user. One of many examples of this is the partnership between Bloch & Behrens and Austrian-based TISCA.

In what is believed to be a world first, Bloch & Behrens Wool Integrity NZ™ brand partner TISCA, launched a Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified rug at the Domotex Trade Fair held in
Germany in January 2016.

In conjunction with Bloch & Behrens, TISCA was able to source GOTS certified crossbred second-shear wool using the exclusive Integrity Programme launched by PGW’s Bloch & Behrens in 2015. The Wool Integrity NZ™ brand plays an important part in the marketing of this highly-regarded TISCA product.

Knowing which organic sheep farm in New Zealand the wool was grown on has given TISCA the ability to satisfy their most discerning customers’ requests for traceability, integrity, and sustainability.

Fittingly, this new range of certified organic rugs is named RESPECT. This reflects not only the respect TISCA has for its customers but for the entire supply chain, from paddock to market; including the sheep that grow the wool and the land they graze on in the South Island of New Zealand.

Rupert Aigner Chief Operating Officer of TISCA said, “being the first producer of GOTS handwoven rugs worldwide it was a challenge to find suppliers of GOTS raw materials. From the beginning, it was very important for us to work with a trustworthy supplier of GOTS certified wool. In recent years consumers in Europe have become more and more concerned about animal welfare. Because of the traceability back to the farmer in New Zealand and the Wool Integrity NZTM brand from Bloch & Behrens we are now able to address these customer concerns. We can now be confident that the wool used in our RESPECT rugs fulfills all requirements of the GOTS standard and our own high demands.”

Bloch & Behrens General Manager Palle Petersen said, “we are very proud of our position as the leading exporter of GOTS certified organic wool from New Zealand. We have been developing international markets for over a decade and it is great to find ourselves in a position to reward organic sheep farmers for all their hard work and dedication by paying them a premium for their wool. It is a small market but we actively seek new export opportunities and we are grateful for the loyalty shown to us by our farmers and international customers.”