Ovis aries aries: The Remarkable Story of Wool Sheep

Wool sheep, scientifically classified as Ovis aries aries, represent a remarkable group of sheep. These animals are the cornerstone of the global wool textile industry, providing renewable, biodegradable fibre that has clothed and helped protect humanity for over 10,000 years.

According to the Italian Wool Trade Association’s book, The World of Animal Fibres/Il Mondo delle Fibre Animali (2010), it is believed the genetic selection for white fleeced sheep began in Mesopotamia around 3000 BCE, and that the name Babylon meant “wool land”. Remains of domestic sheep dating back to 7000 years ago (late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age) have been found in what is present-day Iran and Iraq, along with stone iconography in the form of statues found in Sumerian, Hittite, Assyrian and other bas-reliefs.

An Extraordinary Diversity

The diversity of wool sheep breeds is truly amazing. Worldwide, there are estimated to be more than 1,000 distinct breeds of wool sheep, each producing wool that varies naturally in colour, texture, length, and fineness. This incredible adaptability allows sheep to thrive in a wide range of climatic zones and environments. From the highest alpine regions to the hottest and driest deserts, sheep adapt and thrive.

As of 2022, global sheep numbers reached approximately 1.296 billion. Today, the top 5 countries by sheep population* are:

1. China – 14% (~181 million)
2. India – 6% (~78 million)
3. Australia – 6% (~78 million)
4. United Kingdom – 3% (~39 million)
5. Turkey – 3% (~39 million)

It’s worth noting that the remaining 60% of the world’s sheep population is distributed across many other countries, with Mongolia, South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, Uruguay, and the USA also having significant populations.

*figures are as of 2022, the date of our most recent data in the IWTO Market Information. You can download a sample at https://iwto.org/resources/statistics/

Major Wool Sheep Breeds and their Applications

Different breeds serve different purposes. Within the wool industry, the purpose is primarily determined by their fibre diameter, which is measured in microns.

The finest wools come from Merino and Rambouillet breeds. These luxury fibres are ideal for next-to-skin garments including baselayers, shawls, scarves, and high-quality fashion apparel.

Merino sheep originated in Spain, developed by the Moors who lived in Southern Spain from 711-1421. The Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans all took their flocks to Spain, but it was the Moors who excelled in breeding both sheep and horses. It is thought that the Merino is the result of cross breeding the local Romana sheep with the Berber breed, introduced by the Beni Merinos tribe, and hence the name.

While the Merino did not thrive in Great Britain because of the climate there, it did thrive across the Commonwealth, which is one of the reasons we see so much Merino today.

However, crosses of the Merino with British breeds resulted in breeds such as the Lincoln, with smooth, long and shiny wool; the Bluefaced Leicester, with long, glossy, wavy wool similar to mohair; the Romney Marsh with water-resistant hooves; and the Kempy Welsh, medium-length, medium-fine wools with kemps – an essential element for texture in tweeds. Not to mention the Shetland, the Cheviot (both good for knitting and fabrics), the Shropshire, and the Down.

There are plenty more around the world, and we’ll look at them in future posts.

From Landscapes to Livelihoods: Wool’s Global Social Impact

This great diversity of wools is possible because wool sheep are so adaptable. Sheep graze successfully across diverse landscapes including temperate grasslands, arid regions, mountainous terrain, and even alongside modern infraructure such as solar panel installations through the practice of solar grazing. This makes sheep valuable custodians of land and landscapes.

What’s also important to remember is that even in today’s world, wool sheep and humans continue an ancient partnership. It’s a symbiotic relationship that, while humans care for sheep, at the same time sheep sustain  rural livelihoods across every inhabited continent. In regions of Asia and Africa sheep farming provides essential income for some of the world’s poorest communities. According to the FAO, approximately 300 million families worldwide depend on small ruminants (sheep and goats combined) for food and income. (Sources: FAO-1, FAO-2, FAO-3) This represents well over 1 billion individuals when accounting for family sizes in rural areas, and is a conservative estimate focusing primarily on small ruminant producers.

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