Abstract/Summary:
An economic feasibility study and new business model
American wool is typically a low-value commodity. The prices many wool producers realize barely cover their costs to pay shearers to remove the wool. In interviews conducted as part of this study, four wool producers said it “barely makes sense” for them to raise wool, that it “sometimes makes more sense to use wool as compost” than it does for them to pay to shear and sell or process it.
At the same time, consumer demand for natural fibers and ethically, locally, and domestically produced goods is on the rise. Consumers are demanding increased supply chain transparency and materials’ traceability from textile manufacturers and retailers. It is logical to think that consumer values like these may create increased value for wool
producers who provide domestically grown, traceable wool.