Recently, FOUR PAWS, an international animal welfare organisation, released its Certification Insights Report assessing 12 textile standards against 19 criteria – 8 foundational and 11 spotlight issues. We’re proud to share that ZQ Certification ranked as the top wool standard, meeting 7 out of 8 foundational criteria and committing to achieve the final one within the next 12 months. This was the highest number of criteria met and commitment among the wool standards reviewed. While this...

We’re proud to announce a major step forward in transparency: The New Zealand Merino Company now digitally traces 100% of ZQ and ZQRX certified wool through TextileGenesis™. While ZQ and ZQRX wool have always been traceable, this expansion builds on a successful pilot and makes digital traceability the new standard for all brands sourcing ZQ and ZQRX wool - at no extra cost. Using TextileGenesis’ Fibercoin™ technology, every kg of wool is tracked from farm to finished product, giving brands...

Date : November 2025 The ZQ Standard, developed by The New Zealand Merino Company (NZM), is built on a commitment to continuous improvement in animal welfare, environmental care, and social responsibility across our broader business. Since the programme began in 2007, the ZQ Standard has provided the foundation for verifying and certifying best practice on farm. Over time, standard updates and new versions have been made to mirror changing best practice, science, market expectations, farming...