An international wool industry leader is crediting the ongoing Campaign for Wool for raising awareness of the environmental benefits of the fibre.
Peter Ackroyd, chief operating officer of the campaign and president of the International Wool and Textile Organisation (IWTO), is in New Zealand to meet wool industry representatives.
He said the four-year-old campaign, under the patronage of Prince Charles, had focused on promoting the natural and sustainable attributes of wool over competing artificial fibres.
Mr Ackroyd said the IWTO, which had been looking after the trading, technical and regulatory aspects of wool since the 1920s, was working with the campaign to push the environmental message as well.
"The IWTO has taken on the sustainability mantle. They're created an environmental credentials group which is supported by Australia, New Zealand, the UK and South Africa," he said.
"We're engaging with government organisations and non-government organisations to push the environmental credentials of the fibre, which hasn't been done hitherto."
Mr Ackroyd spoke to wool industry representatives in Napier on Tuesday and will attend another meeting in Christchurch on Thursday.