This page is a compilation of environmentally and ethically friendly 'stuff' about alpacas. It is a work in progress.
The Green Alpaca
In today's society where consumers across the world are looking for a greener, organic, carbon neutral, environmentally friendly product, which places the buyer under no ethical dilemmas, the green alpaca should rise to the forefront of the global natural textile industry.
The trend for more sustainable earth friendly products and production of these products, is not one that will disappear over night, and rightly so.
Caring for the earth is not a new thought process, but is one that for many years was seen to be the realm of people labelled as hippies, or activists. The good news is that today the push to go green is a topic on everyone's lips, even it seems on those that reject the ideas because of the percieved costs to their industries.
What makes an alpaca green?
Natural
Alpaca fibre is grown naturally on the animal, and the alpacas are not harshly treated to produce the fibre. In their natural habitat alpacas roam free until herded into corrals known as canchones for overnight protection or any husbandry. In other countries that alpacas have been exported to such as New Zealand and Australia, Alpacas roam in sectioned paddocks. Overcrowding leads to worm overburdening and is not in the farmers interest to do so. Alpacas have a gentle temperament by nature and are easier to handle than livestock such as cows and sheep.
Sustainable
Alpacas have a gestation period of approximately 1 year, and due to the culling of the species by spanish invadors into South America several years ago, Alpaca numbers are very low world wide. The breeding of Alpacas to further the numbers of alpacas either Nationally or Globally is unlikely to produce an over burden of the animals on the environment. Breeding the animals contributes to conservation of the species and a return to the numbers and quality of the animals maintained in the age of the Incas. Alpacas are produced primarily for fleece not meat and the meat industry is in its extreme infancy and limited to only a few growers who want to make some extra money and is not generally supported by the majority of Alpaca breeders, many of whom chose the livestock because they did not have to kill it in order to make a living from it. Alpacas are used for meat in South America where the animal is the primary livlihood of the traditional Andean people.
Renewable
Alpacas are shorn annually and selective breeding practices are leading to a faster growing, longer fibre that can decrease the number of months of growth between shearing.
Due the shortage of Alpacas numbers and therefore Alpaca fibre there is a market for all grades of alpaca fibre. As the Alpaca Industry, globally, is focused on breeding, the numbers of Alpacas being born is increasing every year, contributing to increased fibre production.
Biodegradable
Alpaca fibre is a natural fibre that has very little impact on the environment when discarded. Being a natural fibre it is fully biodegradable.
Some of the worst quality alpaca fleece such as the dirtiest and coarsest parts of the fibre, which can't be used for clothing or fabric, have been used to create weedmats around the base of trees which biodegrade over time, a good example of the Fibre's natural biodegradable properties.
Alpaca's waste, or poo, can be easily collected as the Alpacas use a communal poo pile. This waste makes an efficient fertiliser for gardens or to be reintroduced into the paddocks as fertiliser.
Processing has little environmental impact
As alpaca fibre has very little, or close to no lanolin, it requires less detergents during scouring in the processing stage than sheeps wool, and therefore is more environmentally friendly during its conversion from raw fibre to yarn and fabric.
Alpaca comes in several shades of natural colours and can be processed without the use of dyes, or if dyes are used many cottage industry growers use vegetable dyes or environmentally friendly dyes. It is relatively easy to search for and find alpaca products that have used environmentally friendly dyes.
The padded toes of the Alpaca creates less environmental impact on pasture, than the hoven feet of traditional livestock such as sheep and cows.
Alpacas share a communal poo pile which is easier to clean up by the farmer, reduces worm burdens and allows for a higher stocking rate than sheep, and therefore a more efficient use of pasture.
Alpacas are ruminants with a three chambered stomach, and they regurgitate their food and rechew it (chewing the cud) in order to get the most nutrition possible from their feed. This process allows them to eat coarse grasses and again makes for an efficient use of pasture. Alpacas eat pasture close to the roots, and do not require grass to grow long before it can be eaten like Cows do.
Local/Fair Trade
As more and more Countries introduce Alpacas, it is relatively easy to source locally either the stock or the fibre, whether raw, spun, or made into garments. It countries like New Zealand and Australia it is unlikely that there will be any concern over fairtrade practices in the production of the product but a reasonably simple aspect to identify.
When sourcing fibre, fabric, or clothing from South America there are several cooperatives that create safe working environments and treat and pay their workers fairly. We have started a list of products that we like which can be found globally and which are either organic or fairtrade and provide an ethical choice for those people wishing to purchase beautiful Alpaca products. The information as to organic or fairtrade comes from the supplier's websites or third parties that refer to them and we do not certify these suppliers as being organic or fairtrade, we have simply compliled a list of products that appeals to us with organic and fairtrade being paramount in that appeal alongside style.
This list is available further down this page.
How Green is Green?
You don't have to own and breed alpacas to contribute to the green alpaca movement.
This mastercard/oxfam video commercial from a few years back depicts some of the scruffiest looking alpacas, and details an oxfam program that allowed people to support alpaca farmers in South America, with their purchases. Given that one of the strong messages we heard at the 2008 Word Alpaca Conference, was "how can we give back something to the South American Alpaca Breeders", we think utilising this oxfam alpaca gift would be a very good start. Can you imagine how much money could be made if every alpaca breeder in Australia and NZ purchased just one of these?
Oxfam and details of the alpaca program can be found on this link. We contacted Oxfam and have been told that this program will continue until October 2008.
Another way to assist people in South America who raise Alpacas is through a program very similar to Oxfam's called Practical Presents. This site also allows for the purchase of gifts that directly contribute to Alpaca Breeders in South America. There is even a corporate option for companies wanting to purchase gifts for their employees with an ethical focus. The gifts you can choose from in the Alpaca category include, Alpaca Food, Shelters, Veterinary Kits, and of course the Alpaca.
Green through and through
This link is to an article detailing the use of Llama 'poo' to filter and neutralise polluting and environmentally damaging run off from a tin and silver mine. It is a unique and unusual method that is having significant effects on the waterways and wildlife affected by the metals in the run off. The project is removing most of the toxic metals and reducing them to levels declared safe by the World Health Organisation. Chalk another one up to the green alpaca, erm.. camelid.
More of the 'poo' front - Cow poo is now being used to produce gas E-3 Biofuels, is using a method to use cow patties to reduce the price of ethanol up to 30 cents a gallon. The ethanol is not made from the poo, but the factory that makes the ethanol is powered by the poo, which has helped to reduce the production costs in making the biofuel. In addition the by-products or waste from the plants used to make the bio-fuel are fed to the cows, which inturn 'poop' and power up the factory. (Thats a very simple take on what happens, but you can read more about it here). Obviously cows are not alpacas but this is another ingenious use of poo, that could someday, somehow be utilised by breeders of the green alpaca.
Green Alpaca Products for sale
The following are links to sites that have alpaca products that took our fancy; most will be organic and/or ethical:
Organic Alpaca Cushions, stylish, funky and the fabric is woven and dyed in a rural women's cooperative in Peru
Soft Alpaca Baby Booties, 70% alpaca, 30% lambs wool, hand knitted
PomGlittens by Kusikuy Clothing Company, A glove and a mitten, hence the 'glitten' with some pom poms, cute, different and hand knitted in bolivia.
Kimono Style Alpaca Shrug, hand knitted in Peru.
Artesano alpaca yarns for sale at One Planet Yarn and Fibre. Artesano are committed to ethical trading practices, and have a good record of looking after the people that work for them. One Planet Yarn and Fibre donated a percentage of thier net profits each year to NonViolent Peace Force, a federation that promotes peace keeping activities around the world. According to their website One Planet Yarn and Fibre are also environmentally conscious. "Our packing materials are made from 75% recycled materials and we recycle all of our suppliers boxes and shipping materials."
More alpaca yarn from Farm Yarn a UK company producing undyed organic alpaca wool.
A selection of eco alpaca products from Green Fibres, you need to put alpaca in the search field.
Eco-Friendly alpaca carpets from the Natural Carpet Company, undyed, unbleached and "manufactured responsibly with minimal processing and chemical additives." The website is a placeholder for now.
Gorgeous alpaca products hand made in Peru with a fair trade emphasis from Samantha Holmes in the UK.
Fair Trade undyed alpaca Cushion Covers made in peru.
A lovely burgandy and red blanket made in Bolivia.
Two tops and a dress designed by Miss Lontay, with an emphasis on fibre from coloured alpacas in Peru.
Very cute fair trade reversible alpaca hoodies for 6 months - 6 years from Oeuf.
A patterned Inca Pullover made out of an alpaca/merino mix. The patterns are more funky rather than old fashioned. If you put 'alpaca' into the search field on that site you'll find more stylish alpaca products, another one that took our fancy was this Sacred Valley Wrap Sweater.
This link will take you to some organic baby alpaca bedware from Anna Sova.
Mad World
This video is simply a complilation of images depicting our 'mad world'
