Tchibo drops mohair
Video footage published by PETA Asia from South African goat farms prompted more than a hundred fashion companies to ban mohair products from their ranges in less than three weeks. Following talks with PETA Germany, Tchibo has now also implemented an immediate purchasing halt on the wool produced under conditions of animal cruelty. Any remaining mohair stock is to be cleared by 2020. In doing so, the company is sending an important signal for
Video footage published by PETA Asia from South African goat farms prompted more than a hundred fashion companies to ban mohair products from their ranges in less than three weeks. Following talks with PETA Germany, Tchibo has now also implemented an immediate purchasing halt on the wool produced under conditions of animal cruelty. Any remaining mohair stock is to be cleared by 2020. In doing so, the company is sending an important signal for animal welfare in the fashion industry.
Bloody cuts sewn up without anaesthetic
«Many goats had bloody cuts after shearing that were sewn up with needle and thread without any anaesthetic,» said Johanna Fuoss, specialist adviser on animals in the clothing industry at PETA Germany. «PETA therefore urges everyone to check the label when shopping, to leave products containing mohair on the shelf, and instead to choose animal-friendly, vegan fashion.»
South Africa accounts for over 50 percent of all mohair sold worldwide. The footage has convinced several leading companies to remove mohair from their ranges, including the Arcadia Group, Gap Inc., Inditex — one of the world’s largest textile companies and owner of Zara — as well as the H&M Group.
40’000 goats froze to death in one weekend
Twelve farms were visited by an eyewitness in January and February of this year. Workers dragged goats around by their horns and legs or lifted them by their tails, which can break the spine. After shearing, workers threw the animals to the ground. Shearers are paid per animal, not per hour. They therefore work on a piecework basis and handle the animals roughly, resulting in bloody cuts on many goats.
Farmers admitted that many goats die of hypothermia after shearing when exposed to cold wind and rain. In just a single weekend, some 40’000 animals reportedly died this way in South Africa.
Among the more than one hundred companies that will be removing mohair from their product range in the future is the Tom Tailor Group, which is already pulling out of mohair product sales after the autumn/winter 2018 collection. Esprit will turn its back on the products in mid-2019. By 2020 at the latest, the goat wool will also disappear from the collections of brands such as Vero Moda, Only and Selected. More on animal rights.
