- Huw Hughes
-
|
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) has announced that it
has acquired shares in Booho in a bid to persuade the group to ban wool
after it backtracked on its original plan to in February.
Peta US made the announcement on Thursday, saying the move would allow
its representatives to attend the group’s upcoming annual general meeting
and speak to other shareholders and executives about the wool ban.
“It’s time boohoo group proved that it’s a real leader in global retail
by standing by its compassionate initial decision to ban wool,” Peta
director of corporate projects, Yvonne Taylor, said in a statement. “As a
shareholder, Peta US will be able to push the retailer’s management to do
the responsible thing for shareholders and animals alike by showing that no
jumper or scarf is worth kicking, punching, and killing gentle sheep on the
shearing floor.”
In February, Boohoo group, which owns brands Boohoo, BoohooMan,
PrettyLittleThing, and Nasty Gal, announced that it would be banning wool
from its products, but went back on the decision just hours
later.
After being commended by Peta for the initial ban announcement – which
would have reportedly been the first such ban by any major fashion retailer
– Boohoo group released a revised statement, saying: “Boohoo continues to
assess all options as part of its ongoing commitment to a more sustainable
future. We are committed to ensuring the wool used in our supply chain comes
from good husbandry and meets high levels of animal welfare, and will
continue to use wool as a sustainable material.
“We are engaging with PETA
and the relevant parties to discuss options that will balance our customer
demand, animal welfare and sustainable future”.
Since 2014, Peta has released 11 exposés of 99 wool industry facilities
on four continents, including in the UK, and says that it has found cases of
systemic abuse in every one.