People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said that it has evidence of animal cruelty at a Nativa-certified wool operation in South Africa that supplies wool to the H&M Group through a broker.
The animal rights advocacy group said that it has video evidence of workers at the facility kicking sheep in the head and body, hitting them in the face with shearing equipment, beating them with wood pieces and dragging lambs by their front legs. PETA also alleges workers cut sheep during the shearing process, and another worker was documented dropping his knee onto a ram’s neck, hitting the animal’s head on the floor.
“Every PETA investigation into wool entities around the world has exposed that terrified sheep are routinely beaten, kicked and sliced to pieces, no matter what humane-washing label is slapped on their wool,” said PETA president Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling on H&M to get cruelly obtained wool out of its products and urges consumers everywhere to choose vegan fabrics, because it’s the only way to ensure that animals aren’t tormented for clothing.”
Nativa, which was founded by Chargeurs Luxury Materials, specializes in regenerative wool ethically grown at certified farms. The group’s 100 percent traceability claim includes safeguards for animals by ensuring the sheep supplying certified wool are treated humanely in a healthy environment.
“Nativa upholds the highest standards of animal welfare across all our operations,” the group told Sourcing Journal in a statement. “We are aware of PETA’s accusations, and are conducting an immediate review to ensure our standard is fully upheld.”
PETA said the wool facility in question also has received Responsible Wool Standard certification, a voluntary global program managed by Textile Exchange that ensures verified wool comes from farms that treat sheep according to strict animal welfare standards. That standard is based on the Five Freedoms of animal welfare developed by the Farm Animal Welfare Council, which include freedom from hunger and thirst; from discomfort; from pain, from injury or disease, from fear and distress; and freedom to express normal behavior.
“Textile Exchange takes any allegations of animal mistreatment seriously. The practices described in PETA latest campaign, if verified, would fall far short of the requirements of the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), which was developed to set a high bar for animal welfare while supporting more responsible farming systems,” said Brittany Johnston, manager of communications, Textile Exchange. “At this stage, we have not received confirmed evidence linking the farms shown in the footage to RWS-certified operations. We encourage the sharing of verified details so that the relevant certification bodies can conduct a full and transparent investigation.”
Johnston went on to say that when credible concerns are raised around Responsible Wool Standard-certified farms, “there are formal processes for investigation and corrective action, including suspension or withdrawal of certification where non-compliance is confirmed.”
An H&M spokesperson told Sourcing Journal that it takes allegations of third-party certification breaches seriously, and the company is currently checking for any connection between PETA’s allegations and their supply chain.
“No animals should be harmed in the making of our products, and we are committed to improving animal welfare across our supply chain,” the spokesperson said. “We only source animal fibers from certified farms and, where possible, from recycled sources where quality and availability allow. When it comes to wool, all virgin wool used in our products comes from farms certified to the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), a third-party certification system owned and governed by Textile Exchange. We have contacted Textile Exchange and have shared our concerns regarding these findings.”
This isn’t the first time PETA has called out H&M for alleged use of animal-based fibers from farms accused of cruelty. In 2020, the animal rights group cited an alpaca farm in Peru supplying H&M, Gap and other brands for cruelty to its livestock, leading to the brands to sever ties with the farm’s parent company, the Michell Group. And in 2023, PETA came after H&M for its use of down. The retailer pledged to stop using virgin down feathers by the end of 2025.
The relationship between PETA and H&M hasn’t been totally acrimonious, though, as the two partnered in 2021 for vegan collection called “Co-Exist Story.” The line used several sustainable animal material alternatives, such as faux down made from wildflowers and vegan leather made from grape skins, stalks and seeds.
“We are humble to the challenges that exist when sourcing animal fibers and acknowledge our limitations, as brands like ours do not buy animal fibers directly,” the H&M spokesperson said. “This is why we rely on credible, independently governed sustainability standards and certification systems designed to provide transparency, accountability, and a framework for continuous improvement across the supply chain.”
PETA said its entities have now released 17 exposes of more than 150 wool operations in seven countries, “revealing that even on self-proclaimed ‘ethical’ and ‘responsible’ farms, extreme cruelty and violence are rampant.”
