What other breeds of sheep are used in organic wool production?
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The lead breeds identified in the survey by number were: Columbia,
Navajo-Churro, Rambouillet, Rambouillet/Suffolk Cross.
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Others include: Border Leicester, Cheviot, Cormo, Dorset, Karakul, Icelandic,
Southdown, Suffolk, Tunis, and unspecified crosses.
Why does organic wool cost more than conventional wool?
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Organic wool production involves high costs of certification, management and
labor practices.
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Organic wool production is a small scale industry and it can't use the same
conditions as large scale non-organic wool industry.
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Federal organic standards for livestock production prohibit overgrazing. If the
price of wool is low, the difference cannot be made up by simply increasing
production per unit of land, as is commonly practiced by many livestock. (OTA)
Here are some reasons why organic wool production is important to the long-term
health of the planet (OTA):
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More than 14,000 pounds of insecticides were applied to sheep in the United
States in 2000, the most recent year for which data is available (in the 22
states which have the highest sheep production). These pesticides are used to
control mange, mites, lice, flies, and other pests. Some sheep and lambs receive
multiple applications of several different chemicals.
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Pesticides used in sheep production can pose risks to human health and the
environment. The top three insecticides used on sheep in 20005-fenvalerate,
malathion and permethrin-are all slightly acutely toxic to humans, moderately to
highly toxic to fish and amphibians, and suspect endocrine disruptors. Malathion
is highly water soluble (can be easily transported from the application site by
stormwater or irrigation water runoff) and the anaerobic half-life for
fenvalerate in soil is more than 155 days, potentially enabling it to cause
groundwater contamination.
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Pesticides used in sheep dips have consistently been linked with damage to the
nervous system in workers that have been exposed to them in the United Kingdom.
Even low-dose exposure over the long term has been conclusively linked with
reduced nerve fiber function, anxiety, and depression. Long-term exposure to
sheep dip has also been linked to reduced bone formation. In addition, residues
of diflubenzuron, an insecticide used in sheep dips, persist in the environment
for more than a year.
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Two antibiotics, oxytetracycline and chlortetracycline, are approved for growth
promotion in sheep. These antibiotic feed additives are used to promote slightly
faster growth and to compensate for overcrowded and unhealthy conditions in
concentrated animal feeding operations. Mounting evidence suggests that
widespread use of agricultural antibiotics is contaminating surface waters and
groundwater, including drinking water, in many rural areas as a result of their
presence in animals waste. This non-human use of antibiotics is compromising
medicine's effectiveness in people as bacteria become resistant to antibiotics
over time.
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