Alpaca wool is often marketed as sustainable, but is it also fair-trade? Here's what you should know about the industry's full picture
While alpaca wool is often considered sustainable due to low environmental impact, its fair-trade status varies. Some producers follow ethical practices, but the industry lacks universal certification, making labor conditions and equitable trade inconsistent across regions.
To really understand whether alpaca wool lives up to its fair-trade image, we need to take a closer look at how it’s made, who’s involved, and what standards are actually in place.
How Can You Know if Alpaca Woolen Products Are Made Fair Trade?
When it comes to alpaca wool, we need to look into three different “stages” that make up the production process in order to decide whether or not it’s fair trade:
-
Farming
-
Wool production
-
Manufacturing of garments
Farming
Part of fair trade production is the fair and ethical treatment of animals. Fair-trade alpaca wool starts with the farming practices. For alpaca farming to be ethical, the Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS) describes the following circumstances to be best for the animals wellbeing:
-
Farms that practice responsible and ethical farming will have the alpacas live outside, where they can run, graze and be fluffy. There should always be enough room for shelter, especially to protect them from wind and rain.
-
Alpacas like to live in herds and should not live alone, as that would make them feel terribly lonely and unhappy.
-
Alpacas should not be shorn more than once a year. Shearing should be done manually or with industrial razors, while being attached properly (for safety reasons).
-
Farmers should be compensated fairly for raw fleece, to make sure expenses are covered and proper nutrition and veterinary care is provided. They should also be compensated for their effort and the work they put into caring for the animals, focusing on long-term economic sustainability.
Since alpaca farming is such an essential part of the Andean culture, lots of farms are small-scale. This means that alpacas are cared for with much more attention and care than when animals were kept at a larger scale.
-
According to Textile Exchange presentation on the development of the RAS, Andean farmers have on average only 46 alpacas!
Wool Production
For alpaca wool to be fair-trade, the production process also needs to be considered. From shearing to yarn, there’s a lot of things that need to be taken into account for both animals and workers.
-
Workers should be protected from chemical substances used during the production process.
-
If wool production is done industrially, workers should be equipped with proper security gear and training to work safely with (heavy) machinery.
-
Ideally, as much of the natural features of the raw fleece as possible is maintained. Alpaca wool contains very limited amounts of lanolin, but still needs to be scoured.
-
Similarly, if wool requires dyeing, biodegradable dyes are preferred to maintain an organic-as-possible product and reduce chemical waste.
Read about the production process here: How is alpaca wool made? Additionally, for more information, GOTS is one of the frontrunners when it comes to ecological and social standards for textiles.
Garment Manufacturing
The final stage that needs to be fair-trade is during apparel production. When yarn is turned into garments, it is important that the people who knit the garments are treated equally and fairly.
-
Everyone should have the same opportunities at work, no matter their gender, background, or beliefs.
-
Workers should be paid enough to meet basic needs and receive their wages on time. But even better is the “living wage”, see, for example, the Global Living Wage Coalition.
-
Safe and healthy working conditions: no one should have to risk their health just to do their job.
-
Freedom to organize and the opportunity for workers to join together to voice concerns or negotiate better conditions.
-
Workers deserve regular time off and paid holidays.
-
Workers should have access to healthcare and retirement benefits.
The Reality in Peru
Peru plays a major role in the global alpaca wool industry: it’s home to the largest population of alpacas and countless communities whose livelihoods depend on this trade. Chances are that your alpaca wool garment is made from alpaca wool from Peru—unless you’re buying locally, of course :)
During my time in Peru, I saw firsthand how labor law enforcement weakens in remote areas. Outside the capital, legal protections are often not upheld, and violations go unchecked. With high unemployment, workers are easily replaced, making it risky to speak up for fair treatment.
This makes it all the more important to support fair-trade practices across the supply chain. As a consumer, you can choose ethically made products by supporting transparent brands and small producers, asking questions about sourcing, and prioritizing quality over quantity.
Don’t be discouraged if a product lacks official certification. Major certifications are costly and often inaccessible for small producers (many of whom may uphold better standards than large corporations!) With the right knowledge, you can assess brands independently and make informed, responsible choices.
-
Look for transparency and accountability. The more information you can find about a brand or product, the better. Remember: If it’s good, a brand’s going to want to share the information!
What Does Fair Trade Mean?
According to Wikipedia:
“Fair trade is an arrangement designed to help producers in growing countries achieve sustainable and equitable trade relationships. Members of the fair trade movement add the payment of higher prices to exporters, as well as improved social and environmental standards.”
Simply put, fair trade is trade (business) in which partners (who often originate in developing countries) get paid a fair salary or compensation for their work, their products and their services, in order to guarantee a positive social or environmental impact.
Fair trade is more than just a fair salary for the producers, some other aspects include:
-
Commitment to non-discrimination
-
Gender equity
-
Women’s (economic) empowerment
-
Safe work environment
-
Proper training
-
Respect for the environment
-
No child labor
-
No forced labor
-
Transparency
-
The use of (raw) natural materials
-
Locally produced materials
Some examples of acknowledged fair trade organizations are
Fair trade does not necessarily mean that the connected brands and/or stores are not-for-profit. The bodies that provide certification themselves, however, are often non-profit in order to maintain their neutral position.
Another aspect of fair trade certification is that organizations need to apply in order to get the certification. After applying, the supply chain is reviewed against the standards and when the business complies with all requirements, it is allowed to apply the label to their products.
-
Once their application is reviewed and approved, businesses pay for the fair trade label (almost like a membership).
Why Fair Trade Certification Isn’t the Whole Story
When brands or products are labelled fair trade, it means that they are (likely) made with respect for the producers, workers and the environment. However, if products don’t have a fair trade certification, it does not necessarily mean that it is not in agreement with fairtrade standards.
The latter is often the case for alpaca wool.
One of the downsides of fair trade certification is that it is incredibly expensive. Many small brands are not able to apply for the “big names” and will miss out on the benefits of being certified.
Especially when you consider that an incredibly important part of the certification process includes the farmers and producers of the material of fair trade products, you need to realize that alpaca wool often comes from very marginalized communities in the Andes.
This means two things:
-
The local people don’t know what fair trade is, let alone that they would consider applying for a certificate.
-
The people don’t have the funds or knowledge to get certified.
So, while certification is incredibly important and a great indicator of fair trade materials and products, it does not mean that brands or products that are not certified are wrong and should be avoided. On the contrary! Alpaca woolen products are more than often fair trade, even without certification!
Is It Important That Alpaca Woolen Products Are Fair Trade?
It is very important that alpaca woolen products are made fair trade. It is not necessary that they are certified fair trade, however.
It is important that alpaca woolen products are made with fair wages, good working conditions and equal rights for the laborers.
It is important that workers are not discriminated against, that everyone is treated equally and that economic opportunities are equally encouraged and distributed.
It is also important that the animals are treated well, are shorn respectfully and safely with proper equipment and that they can roam freely in their natural habitat.
Next, it is important that the wool is made organically, remains biodegradable and that no chemicals are used during the production process. And that when they are used, that its waste is disposed of properly.
Last, it is important that the materials are locally sourced, supporting indigenous culture, rituals and traditions. And that unique indigenous practises like spinning, dyeing and weaving are kept alive.
It is important that all those things happen, for the sake of the animals, the farmers, the workers, the communities and the wearers.
However, it is not necessary that brands use certification. With transparency and accountability brands can show where the money goes, how employees are treated and where their materials come from.
It is not necessary that small brands pay astronomical amounts of money for certification as long as they are open to answer questions and share details to show what’s behind the brand.
However, I do acknowledge that there can be some problems regarding animal rights and treatment of workers in South America. It is therefore important to realize these things do happen and can be the case for your alpaca woolen product, too!
What Are Some of the UNFAIR Practices Regarding Alpaca Wool?
The reason why paying attention to your brand is important, is because things can always go wrong! Vegans and organizations like PETA are convinced that whenever a material comes from an animal, cruelty is involved.
While I do believe that alpaca wool is an animal-friendly, sustainable choice, it is important to be aware of the things that can go wrong!
Animal maltreatment
In developing countries laws on animal welfare are often lacking or unenforced. When check-ups do take place, results can easily be manipulated due to corruption.
No contract
Formal work agreements are rare in South America. Many people are forced to work without a contract and thus without the benefits that the employee is obligated to provide for.
I know from personal experience that working without a contract is very common in Peru. If you were to confront your boss, he’ll happily replace you for someone who doesn’t have a problem working without a contract.
Less than Minimum wage
When no official contract is given to the workers, it becomes difficult to negotiate a minimum wage. Again, when there are so many people happy to work for less, it becomes hard for individuals to negotiate their position.
Working hours
The legal work week in Peru is 48 hours. That means six days a week with an eight-hour workday. However, in practice, people often end up working much more than eight hours.
Again, from my own experience I know that 12 hour work-days are not uncommon. Neither are 7 day workweeks!
Corruption
Corruption and bribing are common in developing countries, and Peru and Bolivia are no exception.
No knowledge of worker’s rights
Many people don’t know what their rights are, which institutions they can address to ask for help or support, and which steps they can take to improve their situation.
However, even when they do know, their situation is delicate and because there is so much poverty people are more than happy to work for less. Their solution is often to work two jobs and make some extra money that way.
Knowledge of workers’ rights in and of itself is not enough to improve the people’s situation!
Dare to Share
I spent five years in South America, where too many people live in unfair, marginalized conditions. Especially women. I started Yanantin because no one should ever be subjected to unethical work. For me, even "minimum standards" aren't enough.
At Yanantin, our knitters earn a living wage, receive training, and work flexible hours. True empowerment means giving people the opportunity to choose how to live their lives—not have others decide for them.
With Yanantin, I connect the beauty and strength of South America (especially the Andes) with the rest of the world.
Alpacas are native to South America, where artisans have the knowledge to work this high-quality wool. In the rest of the world, we have the means to invest in sustainable garments. And pay the price they truly deserve.
