See the Progress of the #StopCruelWool campaign!
Thanks to your support, Nike received over 80,000 emails urging them to switch to certified live lamb cut-free wool – and they did!
FOUR PAWS launched a targeted campaign at the end of April 2022 to encourage Nike to #StopCruelWool and take responsibility for the sheep they source wool from. A report we published in mid-April showed that Nike uses merino wool, however, unlike its main competitors Puma and Adidas – until recently, Nike, the leader in sportswear could not claim to sell verified live lamb cutting-free sportswear.
It seems Nike paid attention to our campaign and the demands of our supporters! In June 2023, the sportwear giant publicly stated it will only use certified wool sourced with Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) from now on, which excludes the brutal procedure of live lamb cutting (mulesing).
What we revealed:
- Live lamb cutting is the biggest mutilation farmed animals are subjected to. It is common practice in Australia – the biggest wool producing country for the global clothing market.
- New shocking live lamb cutting footage showing the mutilation practice was recently published and we have shared it with Nike, the media, and our supporters to bring more awareness to the cruelty that lambs are enduring in the biggest wool producing country.
- Brands who do not rely on full supply chain traceability that includes animal audits on farms cannot claim live lamb cutting-free status for their merino wool-based products.
- The FOUR PAWS wool report has highlighted that merino wool is increasingly used in sportswear and even though the risk of live lamb cut wool is extremely high, there is no evidence that Nike communicated or took any reliable steps to exclude this mutilation practice and protect the lambs in their supply chain.
- Nike is the biggest sportwear brand worldwide. And with great profitability, comes great responsibility. A commitment from Nike to only source certified live lamb cutting-free wool will not only positively impact the fate of thousands of lambs but also encourage other market players to follow suit.
The progress we made with the #StopCruelWool Campaign
- Over 80,000 people have sent an email directly to Nike to encourage the brand to go certified live lamb cutting-free!
- Athletes, activists and Nike fans went to the streets in Hamburg and Vienna to run for sheep welfare and to call on Nike to "Just Don't Do It".
- Both professional and recreational athletes came together in a video to showcase their talents and support for the #StopCruelWool mission.
- Supporters also went online and voiced their demands to Nike via social media.
- FOUR PAWS projected the #StopCruelWool demands of 50,000 people, in light of Nike's 50th anniversary, onto the facade of Nike's main European Logistic Campus in Laakdal, Belgium.
- Nike commits to only using certified wool sourced with Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) as of May 2023!
Take a look at the top moments from the #StopCruelWool campaign!
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Thank you for helping to make this campaign a success!
Don’t allow innocent lambs to be injured for your wool products. This isn’t a game. Commit to certified live lamb cutting-free wool and #StopCruelWool. We hope you "find your greatness" Nike, and make the right choice!
