International Wool Textile Organisation : IWTO

The International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) is the international body representing the interests of the world´s wool-textile trade and industry. IWTO membership covers woolgrowers, traders, primary processors, spinners, weavers, garment makers and retailers of wool and allied fibres in its member-countries, as well as all kind of organizations related to wool products and the wool business in general. Since 1930, IWTO has represented the interests of the global wool trade. By facilitating research and development, wool textile education and knowledge sharing, IWTO ensures a sustainable future for wool. IWTO was born in 1924 out of an arbitration agreement signed between the representative bodies of the British and French wool textile industries. Shortly afterwards, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Czechoslovakia joined the arbitration agreement, which required an annual meeting to discuss the evolution of trade, technical, and other issues affecting the wool industry. As a result of the success of these International Wool Conferences, in 1928 the French Delegation proposed to create a permanent organisation, to be charged with coordinating all of the participating national committees, as well as representing their interests in international fora or economic organisations. Accordingly in September of 1930, the International Wool Textile Organisation was created