Nordic Innovation funds wool project
Sustainable growth promotions body Nordic Innovation is funding a new project that will explore opportunities for Nordic wool.
Its aim is to make the wool supply chain in the Nordic countries more sustainable by identifying market opportunities and the infrastructure needed to support growers.
Copenhagen-based consultancy Norion will lead the project. It said it wanted to engage directly with industry stakeholders and called on everyone involved in any aspect of wool production or consumption in the region to share their insights.
It pointed to issues in all parts of the region. “Sweden discards half of its 1,000 tonnes of annual wool production, while importing about 1,700 tonns each year,” it said.
In Finland, meanwhile, 70% of the wool its farmers produce goes for incineration owing to its perceived low market value, while a lack of mills and high costs make small-scale production in Denmark difficult.
Norway has the most advanced wool production of the Nordic countries, Norion said. A national classification system manages about 90% of the total production. However, owing to a lack of local facilities, most of this wool is sent to the UK for washing.
