[imagesource: Flickr / Bev Currie]

H&M is catching major heat after deciding to reintroduce mohair products in their latest fashion lines despite once promising that they would never use the fabric again.

This ethical conundrum started when PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) Asia revealed farm workers in South Africa treating goats with violence and disregard.

SA had 12 goat farms in 2018, producing more than half of the mohair in the world, according to South Africa’s department of agriculture (DAFF).

Those farms were put under the spotlight when PETA revealed a video exposé showcasing some of the abuse “documented on all 12 of the angora goat farms the eyewitness visited”.

This led to the NSPCA laying charges against four mohair farmers in the Eastern and Western Cape.

It also made H&M take action:

H&M told the Washington Post: “The supply chain for mohair production is difficult to control – a credible standard does not exist – therefore we have decided to ban mohair fibre from our range by 2020 at the latest.”

But according to SA People, sitting pretty on H&M’s website at the moment are 14 items made from Mohair:

PETA has seen this too, calling out the fact that H&M is “betraying animals and its customers by reversing its mohair and cashmere bans”.

The group added that “gentle goats” are still being “exploited for [mohair and] cashmere, [after which] their throats are slit in slaughterhouses and they’re left to die in agony”.

Customers and PETA followers are up in arms, with more than 27 500  people already signing the PETA-led petition hoping to stop H&M from supporting this “abuse”:

Shoppers at @HM when they realize how mohair is made 💔

Go to @HM’s page & tell it to do the right thing by only using vegan materials! pic.twitter.com/EFTOnfT0la

— PETA (@peta) September 13, 2022

H&M has hit back by claiming that production of mohair has improved since 2018:

An H&M spokesperson told Aftonbladet: “The decision to reintroduce mohair into our material portfolio is a result of the introduction of mohair’s animal welfare standard.

“RMS, Responsible mohair standard, is developed and owned by Textile Exchange. The standard has helped us achieve our goal of only using mohair from farms where the animals have been treated humanely.”

The giant fashion retailers have implemented a long-standing commitment to improving animal welfare and sourcing sustainably:

H&M says: “We say a big NO to fur, and for many years we have banned the use of exotic skin, as well as any material deriving from endangered species. Since 2013, this ban also includes the use of angora wool, and since 2020, we only allow mohair originating from farms certified to the Responsible Mohair Standard. As part of our 2030 goal to only use sustainably sourced materials, we are now beginning to gradually phase out conventional cashmere.”

PETA is not having any of this, accusing H&M of hiding behind the “deceptively named Responsible Mohair Standard” and failing to protect the animals from abuse:

“The mohair and cashmere industries cause death. If goats don’t die from exposure, neglect, or violent shearing, they’re slaughtered. No sweater or cardigan is worth this suffering,” says PETA

Social media is also alight with rage pitted against H&M, with the comments on this Instagram post being particularly angry:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by H&M (@hm)

One comment reads: “I can’t believe you guys are going back to selling mohair. Such a step backwards. Doesn’t matter if your mohair suppliers claim their procedure to be humane. You can never control that. I won’t shop another item until I see that you will discontinue mohair.”

Another says: “No mohair. Keep your f****** promise”, “#nomoremohair #stopanimalabuse #stopanimalcruelty” and “STOP USING MOHAIR. Cut the cruelty.”

PETA says that H&M has already banned other animal-derived materials, “so it’s clear that it can and will take action for animals when it’s under enough pressure to do so”.

[source:sapeople]