Sustainability

Sustainability at Hemprino

At Hemprino, sustainability is not a slogan. It is how we farm, design, and make every garment. From our family farm in the Rakaia Gorge to the knitting mills of Tauranga, we take responsibility for every step.

From our farm to your wardrobe

Our story begins on Glenaan Station, a fourth-generation family farm in the foothills of New Zealand’s Southern Alps. Our sheep graze freely across open alpine pastures where clean air, fresh water, and natural grasses shape the quality of the wool we grow.

We blend this ZQ-certified merino with hemp, one of nature’s most sustainable fibres. Hemp grows quickly, needs little water, improves soil health, and removes carbon from the atmosphere as it grows. Together these fibres create knitwear that is soft, strong, and naturally biodegradable.

Certified and accountable

ZQ Certified Merino
ZQ is the world’s leading standard for ethical wool. It guarantees animal welfare, environmental care, and social responsibility. Every ZQ grower follows strict standards for animal health, nutrition, freedom, and humane treatment. The wool is fully traceable from farm to garment.

Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)
The Responsible Wool Standard is an international certification that ensures wool comes from farms that protect animal welfare, manage their land responsibly, and safeguard the people who work there. RWS requires independent audits and full chain-of-custody traceability so customers can trust where their wool comes from.

Savory Institute Verified Regenerative
Glenaan Station is verified by the Savory Institute through its Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) program. This means our land management is scientifically measured as regenerating. Soil health, biodiversity, and water cycles are all improving under our practices.

Regenerating the land

We believe great knitwear starts with healthy land. Our regenerative approach focuses on:

• Rotational grazing that allows pastures and soil to recover naturally.

• Fenced waterways to protect rivers and streams from stock access.

• Tree planting and native revegetation to stabilise soils and create shade.

• Biodiversity and native grass monitoring to measure ecosystem recovery over time.

• Minimal chemical use and no synthetic fertilisers to preserve soil biology.

• Building soil carbon through grazing that mimics natural herd movement.

Healthy soil holds more water, supports native species, and produces stronger, more resilient fibre. The result is better wool and a better planet.

Made in New Zealand

Every Hemprino garment is knitted, finished, and packaged in New Zealand.
By keeping production close to home, we:
• Reduce transport emissions
• Support skilled local makers
• Maintain full traceability and quality control

Each step, from spinning to knitting, reflects our values of craftsmanship, care, and responsibility.

Natural. Traceable. Circular.

Hemprino knitwear contains no synthetics and is made from renewable fibres that will return safely to the earth at the end of their life.
Each piece is:

• Renewable: made from fibres that regrow each season

• Biodegradable: naturally breaks down at end of life

• Traceable: from our farm to your wardrobe

When you wear Hemprino, you wear nature.

Our promise

We are farmers before we are a brand. Our goal is simple: to connect people to the land through honest clothing that lasts, regenerates, and inspires care for the environment.