July 10, 2018
Māori premium in wool story
Māori could be key to a strategy to get more for New Zealand’s wool
Leading wool producers, processors, marketing experts and designers are in San Francisco this week for a workshop at Stanford University on strategies for the sector.
Federation of Māori Authorities chair Traci Houpapa, who also chairs the W3 Wool Unleashed think tank, says New Zealand wool must overcome perceptions of distance as well as cost compared to other natural and artificial fibres.
She says there needs to be more investment in adding value, using wool for a wider range of products, as well as changing the story.
"A big part of that story, the authenticity and integrity which adds value and a premium to the growers and the farmers will be the kaupapa Māori story because the main thing that differentiates New Zealand from everyone else that has a clean, green environmental profile are us as tangata whenua and mana whenua and our story is impressive," Ms Houpapa says.
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