RAF Certification Guide 2026: Responsible Animal Fibers

The Responsible Animal Fiber (RAF) program is Textile Exchange's framework for certifying animal fibers across the supply chain. It brings together the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), the Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS), and the Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS) under one set of assurance rules. For brands, farms, and processors that handle wool, mohair, or alpaca fiber, RAF certification is the recognized route to proving animal welfare, land stewardship, and supply-chain traceability to global buyers.

This guide explains what RAF certification covers, the core requirements of each standard, the step-by-step certification process, and the important 2026 transition toward the Materials Matter Standard. Every requirement below is drawn from the official RAF and RWS documents published by Textile Exchange.

What Is RAF (Responsible Animal Fiber) Certification?

Responsible Animal Fiber (RAF) is a framework used by Textile Exchange to cover standards that address animal fibers. According to the official RAF Certification Procedures, the framework currently includes:

Standard	Fiber / Species	Current Version
Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)	Wool (sheep)	RWS 2.2 (effective 1 October 2021)
Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS)	Mohair (goats)	RMS V1.2
Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS)	Alpaca	RAS V1.0

All three standards are international, voluntary standards owned and managed by Textile Exchange, a global non-profit. They focus on animal welfare, land management, and social welfare on the farm, plus a robust chain of custody from the farm to the final business-to-business product. Individual sites are certified by independent third-party certification bodies using annual audits, and material is tracked from the farm to the final product using transaction certificates that follow the requirements of Textile Exchange's Content Claim Standard (CCS).

After the farm level, certification for wool falls under the RAF umbrella, which includes both the Responsible Wool Standard and the Responsible Mohair Standard. The RAF program is the connecting structure that lets a single certification body and a single set of procedures cover wool, mohair, and alpaca supply chains.

Why RAF Certification Matters

RAF certification gives farms, processors, and brands a shared, audited language for responsible animal-fiber production. The main drivers for pursuing it are:

• Market access. Major apparel and outdoor brands require RWS, RMS, or RAS certification from their fiber and material suppliers.
• Animal welfare assurance. The standards are built around the Five Freedoms of animal welfare, giving buyers confidence that fiber comes from responsibly treated animals.
• Land stewardship. Certified farms must actively manage soil health, biodiversity, water, fertilizers, and pesticides.
• Traceability. The chain-of-custody system lets brands make verified claims that the material in their products is genuinely certified.
• Social responsibility. The standards incorporate social welfare criteria covering labor, child labor, working conditions, and community impacts.

Core Requirements of RAF Certification

Each RAF standard organizes its criteria into the same seven sections: General Information, Principles of Certification, Animal Welfare, Land Management, Social Welfare, Farm Group Certification, and Chain of Custody. The following explains the substance of these requirements using the Responsible Wool Standard 2.2 as the detailed reference.

Animal Welfare Criteria

The animal welfare section is the heart of every RAF standard. For the RWS, the criteria address nutrition, living environment, animal management, handling and transport, and management plans. Key points verified during audit include:

• Mulesing is prohibited. The RWS explicitly prohibits mulesing. Freeze mulesing (steining) is also prohibited. Farms with "Ceased Mulesing" status are accepted.
• No mixed flocks. A certified farm may not carry both certified and non-certified sheep.
• Nutrition and water. Sheep must have access to adequate nutrition and a daily supply of clean, safe drinking water, addressed through a management plan.
• Health management. Sick or injured animals must be treated promptly, and animals that will not recover must be humanely euthanized.
• Injurious procedures. Tail docking and castration must be based on a documented welfare risk/benefit analysis rather than carried out as routine, with pain management discussed with a veterinary surgeon.
• Competent stockpersons. Husbandry procedures must be performed or supervised by a competent stockperson using well-maintained, purpose-designed equipment.

Land Management Criteria

Certified farms must protect soil health, maintain biodiversity and water quality, and manage fertilizers and pesticides responsibly. Grazing is managed to prevent soil degradation, and native species and natural habitats are protected rather than cleared.

Social Welfare Criteria

The social welfare section covers hiring practices and forced labor, child labor, working conditions and conduct, freedom of association and collective bargaining, wages and benefits, communities, and health and safety. These align with International Labour Organization (ILO) expectations and are audited at the farm level.

Chain of Custody

Material is tracked from the farm to the final product using transaction certificates that follow the Content Claim Standard (CCS). The chain of custody applies to all supply-chain sites of wool, from processing through assembly of the final product, up to the seller in the last business-to-business transaction.

• Minimum content. The RWS applies to products that contain at least 5% RWS wool, calculated as a percentage of the material.
• Recycled wool is ineligible. Recycled wool cannot be certified to the RWS.
• Product-specific labelling. To use the RWS logo on a product, all wool material in the product must be RWS certified, all artwork must meet the TE-301 Standards Claims Policy, and final artwork must be approved by an authorized certification body through a label release form.

RAF Certification Types

A farm may be certified under one of three certification types:

• Individual Farm Certification. For farms certifying independently. Requires annual on-site audits of the farm and annual submission of Farm Questions to the certification body.
• Farm Group Certification. For groups with a defined internal control system (ICS). Requires annual on-site audits of the ICS and sample audits of group members based on the certification body's risk assessment.
• Communal Farmer Group Certification. For farmers unable to meet individual or farm-group requirements. A farmer or herder may be part of one Communal Farmer Group per RAF standard and may not hold other scope certificates for that standard.

Slaughter sites may optionally be certified under the RWS to produce non-food products from RWS origin, subject to the Slaughter Site Module and Transport Guidance. Use of the RWS logo is not permitted for non-food products, though text claims about the origin of by-products are allowed.

RAF Certification Process: Step by Step

The path to an RAF scope certificate follows the RAF Certification Procedures and the Content Claim Standard. While exact timelines vary by site, the structure is consistent.

Step 1: Select a Textile Exchange-Licensed Certification Body

Choose a certification body licensed by Textile Exchange for the Responsible Animal Fiber scope (to certify at farm or slaughter level) and for the Content Claim Standard scope (to certify supply-chain sites). The certification body's auditors and decision-makers must have training and experience with mammalian livestock and pasture-based agriculture.

Step 2: Define Scope and Submit Application

Determine which sites and which RAF standard(s) apply — RWS for wool, RMS for mohair, or RAS for alpaca. Submit the application and provide the certification body with information needed to follow biosecurity measures before the audit.

Step 3: Close Gaps and Prepare Documentation

Conduct a gap analysis against the standard's animal welfare, land management, social welfare, and chain-of-custody criteria. Individually certified farms submit annual Farm Questions; farm groups operate an internal control system.

Step 4: On-Site Audit

The certification body performs an initial on-site audit of the farm (or the ICS plus member samples for groups). At least 20% of farm audits must be conducted during times when high-risk activities such as castration, tail docking, or shearing are occurring. The audit checks animal welfare, land management, social welfare, and chain of custody.

Step 5: Certification Decision and Scope Certificate

If requirements are met, the certification body issues a Scope Certificate. RAF scope certificates for farms are issued for a duration of three years; the certification body shall not issue certification for less than three years. Supply-chain-only scope certificates are issued according to the Content Claim Standard timelines.

Step 6: Annual Surveillance and Recertification

Two annual audits are conducted during the three-year certificate duration, in addition to the recertification audit, with one audit typically performed per calendar year. If a certification decision is not completed within 60 days following an annual audit, the scope certificate is suspended until the decision is made.

Requirement Levels and Non-Conformities

Every requirement in an RAF standard is assigned one of four levels. Understanding them is essential for audit readiness:

Level	Meaning	Closure Timeline
Critical (C)	Must be met to achieve or maintain certification; failure leads to immediate suspension or removal from the scope certificate.	180 days to close, or the site is removed from the scope certificate.
Major (Ma)	Must be met to achieve certification; an open major non-conformity blocks issuance or reissue of the scope certificate.	30 days; else the certificate is suspended.
Minor (Mi)	Must be met; the organization remains certified while the item is open.	60 days (minor land-management items from an initial audit may be given up to one year).
Recommendation (R)	Not required for certification; best-practice guidance that may become a requirement in future versions.	No effect on certification status.

Labelling and Claims

All claims related to an RAF standard are governed by the TE-301 Standards Claims Policy. There are two categories:

• Product-specific claims. Available when the product is certified up to the final B2B seller, all wool material is RWS certified, artwork meets TE-301, and an authorized certification body has approved the final artwork through a label release form. Only certified organizations may physically attach product-specific claims.
• General (non-product-specific) marketing claims. Available to organizations with current certification, those that purchase certified products verified by transaction certificates, or those that have made public commitments to the standard.

2026 Update: Transition to the Materials Matter Standard

Textile Exchange is unifying its suite of standards into a single, outcomes-focused Materials Matter Standard. The criteria for the Materials Matter Standard were released on 12 December 2025. The new standard becomes effective on 31 December 2026, and is mandatory from 31 December 2027. From the mandatory date, eligible certified organizations must complete their next audit to the new standard to maintain certification.

What this means for RAF certificate holders in 2026:

• RWS 2.2, RMS, and RAS remain valid throughout 2026. New certifications and annual audits continue under the current RAF standards.
• Transition audits become available from 31 December 2026. Eligible certified organizations can request audits to the Materials Matter Standard from that effective date.
• Mandatory transition by 31 December 2027. Organizations must complete their next audit to the Materials Matter Standard by this date to keep their certification.

Sites that are currently certified or pursuing certification to the current RAF standards should monitor Textile Exchange's Standards Transition page for detailed timelines and requirements as the transition progresses.

FAQ: Responsible Animal Fiber Certification

The following are frequently asked questions about RAF certification, optimized to answer common buyer and supplier queries.

Conclusion

RAF certification — through the RWS, RMS, and RAS — is the credible, third-party route to demonstrating responsible animal-fiber production. With RWS 2.2 still in force through 2026 and the Materials Matter transition opening from 31 December 2026, now is the right time for farms, processors, and brands to confirm their certification pathway and prepare for the coming change. Strong animal-welfare practices, disciplined land management, and a clean chain of custody are the foundation of a successful audit.

If you are planning an RAF, RWS, RMS, or RAS certification and need support with gap analysis, documentation, and audit preparation, our team can help you move efficiently from application to scope certificate.

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References

1. Textile Exchange. Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) 2.2, RAF-101a-V2.2-2021.10.01. Retrieved from ResponsibleWool.org.
2. Textile Exchange. Responsible Animal Fiber Certification Procedures 2.1, RAF-102-V2.1-2021.07.29. Retrieved from ResponsibleWool.org / ResponsibleMohair.org / ResponsibleAlpaca.org.
3. Textile Exchange. Standards Transition: Materials Matter Standard. Criteria released 12 December 2025; effective 31 December 2026; mandatory 31 December 2027. Retrieved from textileexchange.org.
4. Textile Exchange. Content Claim Standard (CCS) CCS-101 and TE-301 Standards Claims Policy.