When New Zealand wool company Zentera rebranded earlier this year, some observers noticed a subtle but significant change. References to being the world’s leading “ethical wool” company had largely disappeared, replaced by broader claims about producing the world’s best wool. For a company whose ZQ certification has become synonymous with ethical sourcing, regenerative farming, animal welfare, traceability, and premium Merino wool, the shift raised questions.
Those questions stem from an undercover investigation released by PETA Asia-Pacific in late 2024. Investigators visited more than 30 wool operations in New Zealand, including farms and shearing sheds connected to the ZQ program. The resulting footage alleged mistreatment of sheep, including rough handling during shearing, untreated injuries, overcrowding, and poor welfare practices. The investigation reverberated across the sustainable fashion industry, where brands increasingly rely on certifications and animal welfare claims to reassure consumers seeking alternatives to fast fashion and synthetic fibres.
The issue returned to the spotlight in April 2026 when New Zealand authorities announced animal welfare charges against four sheep shearers following their review of evidence gathered during the investigation. The development renewed scrutiny of wool certification systems and raised broader questions about how ethical, regenerative, and animal welfare standards are verified across complex agricultural supply chains.
ZQ wool is used by some of the world’s best-known apparel and outdoor brands. Over the years, companies including Icebreaker, Smartwool (I own their socks and they live forever), Allbirds, Helly Hansen, and luxury brands sourcing premium New Zealand Merino wool have promoted animal welfare, responsible sourcing, and environmental stewardship as key parts of their sustainability commitments. As consumers become more concerned about transparency and supply-chain accountability, certification programs such as ZQ have become increasingly influential in shaping purchasing decisions.
To better understand how Zentera views the allegations, the company’s response to the investigation, and the steps it has taken since, Green Prophet submitted a series of questions to the company. Zentera CEO Angus Street and the company’s communications team responded with the following comments, which are published below in full, with only minor edits for spelling and grammar.
Angus Street told Green Prophet by email: “Animal welfare is at the heart of what we do, and we unequivocally condemn the mistreatment of animals. We stand by our claim that ZQ is the world’s best, and most ethical wool standard. This is highlighted in the recent review of multiple wool standards by animal advocacy group Four Paws.
Our commitment to delivering ethically grown wool remains unwavering, and we will continue to hold ourselves accountable and do the best we can to raise the bar for animal welfare across the wool industry. We are committed to providing our brand partners and consumers with confidence in the integrity of the products they purchase.”
Questions and Answers with Zentera Wool Company
Why did Zentera remove the term “ethical wool”? Was this decision connected in any way to the PETA investigation or external scrutiny?
We have moved to using ‘world’s best wool’ as part of our strategic re-alignment under our new brand. The company byline about ‘ethical wool standard’, under The New Zealand Merino Company, didn’t capture the breadth of our offering and global commitment to making a positive impact for animals, people and the planet.
Planning for our rebrand was underway from late 2023 as part of a strategic business reset led by CEO Angus Street, who joined the Company in August 2023.
Our aspiration is not simply to be defined as one standard or programme, but to lead the industry forward in positive change initiatives whilst connecting the world’s best wool with the world’s most respected brands.
How do you respond to claims that ZQ is not an independent certification, but one developed and controlled by your own company?
The ZQ standard was developed and is owned and managed by Zentera. However, the standard is governed in accordance with best practice for certification schemes. For example, all ZQ growers are subject to independent third party audit; information about the standard is available in the public domain and stakeholders are consulted as part of ongoing management of the standard.
Last year the ZQ certification was one of the leading wool certification schemes in a report by Four Paws examining the strengths of different fibre programmes.
Link to the Four Paws report here: 2025-10_WiK_certification-insights-report_WEB.pdf
Have you investigated the reported animal abuse on ZQ-certified farms, and if so, what concrete actions (suspensions, audits, removals) have been taken?
Zentera identified two ZQ certified farms from PETA’s publicly available footage in December 2024, and immediately suspended those farms from the ZQ programme, and quarantined their wool, pending investigation. The one farm named by PETA as a ZQ farm (Hunter Valley Station) had never been ZQ certified.
Independent investigation performed by Control Union found no evidence of deliberate abuse, but identified gaps in training and supervision. The Ministry for Primary Industries investigation has also not resulted in any charges against those farms.
Control Union specified corrective actions for these growers before they could re-enter the ZQ programme.
In addition to the investigation of the two properties identified in the footage, we had Control Union perform another 52 spot inspections across ZQ properties and also conducted a programme-wide analysis to assess growers’ understanding of animal welfare requirements under the ZQ standard. The findings from the spot inspections and the survey raised no concerns other than identifying opportunities for improved training and awareness, particularly of staff and contractors.
Effective from July 2025, we introduced significant changes to strengthen the effectiveness of ZQ standards, across animal handling practices, training and capability for growers, and updated governance, transparency and animal welfare protocols. Information is available for all of this on our website.
As of April 2026, the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (our country’s national government body) has completed its investigation into all the footage available, and will determine any legal actions this year.
What verifiable, third-party auditing exists today to ensure animal welfare compliance across your supply chain?
As mentioned above – all growers are subject to independent third-party audits at minimum every three years. In addition, third-party unannounced inspections also take place across a sample of growers.
Can you guarantee to brands and consumers that wool sold under ZQ or ZQRX labels is free from the practices described in the investigation?
As Angus has expressed above, animal welfare is at the heart of what we do, and we unequivocally condemn the mistreatment of animals.
ZQ doesn’t just set requirements like other standards – we aim to help drive the change.
ZQ and ZQ+ standards and criteria are reviewed, updated and monitored regularly to ensure that it reflects best practice and available technology.
We are proud of the positive impact ZQ has, giving growers not only the incentive to continuously improve their animal welfare practices in line with modern expectations, but also the education and support we give to growers and the industry to advance animal welfare in areas such as low-stress handling, mulesing, disease resistance and more.
