10th February 14 -Contextual studies essay... Is The Future Of The Wool Industry Really Sustainable?
Is The Future Of The
Wool Industry Really Sustainable?
A Discussion into the History of Wool
Production and a Comparison of Current and Future Impacts of its Development, for
Global Consumer Culture.
The wool
industry is known for its fluctuating relevance in the modern textile market, a
market where new and innovative fabrics and fibres are constantly designed. As
a fabric, does wool have a place in the market anymore? Wool is one of the
world’s oldest and most versatile fibres with many natural qualities which make
it superior to many of fabric fibres. Its many qualities include; thermal
adaptation to environment and waterproof qualities.
Although
this fibre is amazingly versatile, the methods for farming and the production
of a woollen fabric are sometimes questionable in terms of cruelty to livestock
and environmental factors, which lead to the questionability of the enthics of
this market. There are many people which suggest that the development of sheep
farming has led to an intensive form of farming which has lost all regard for animal
welfare. This is whilst the production of wool from a fibre to a useable fabric
uses masses of resources, harming our natural environment greatly. Taking on board the environmental factors,
which have been produced from the heavy development that the wool industry has
had to implement in order to keep up with the competition with other fibres and
fabrics, is the wool industry really sustainable, or is it just a by-product of
meat production we should throw away?
One of the key
features to modern day farming is selective breeding which allows farmers to
select their best livestock to breed allowing the following generation of
livestock to acquire the desirable qualities of its parents. In relation to
sheep farming, farmers have selectively bred livestock over years to be low
maintenance sheep which produce a vast quantity of wool. Although this may be
beneficial to the farmers, it is not to the sheep. ‘If sheep were left alone
they would produce enough wool just to protect themselves’. (The Wool Industry/ Animals Used for
Clothing/The Issues/PETA. 2014.) Sheep were not built to carry so much
wool. But, because they have been bred
to carry more wool, sheep now have wrinkly skin. As a result of this and due to
the fact that most of the world’s wool is produced in Australia, this unnatural
load of wool causes many sheep to collapse or die of heat exhaustion. To add to
this, the wrinkles in the skin collect urine which attracts flies that lay
their eggs on the sheep. The hatched maggots essentially eat the sheep alive.
Although this is a
major problem in sheep farming, there is a solution. But is it any better? To
prevent flystrike a process called ‘mulesing’ is used by farmers. This process
involves turning live sheep onto their backs and without painkillers, skin is cut
away from the animal’s backside or huge clamps are attached until excess skin
drops off. (Mulesing by the wool
Industry/ The Wool Industry/Animals Used For Clothing/ The Issues/PETA 2014.)
These procedures are extremely painful. Mulesing creates smoother skin which
will not collect moisture, but wounds often get infected or flystruck, causing
slow, painful deaths. This all could be combatted if farmers did not
selectively breed the best wool producing sheep.
Furthermore,
the wool industry is also linked to the destruction of the environment. Recent
studies in the UK have suggested that farming, especially sheep farming, is
leading to the destruction of its grasslands. In an area of the Lake District
sheep farming had been banned, allowing nature to reclaim the grasslands. Not
only this, but there has been a huge increase in the amount of wildlife in the
area, with over five hundred species of bird returning. These people suggest
the ban has led to wildlife thriving, and sheep farming across the world, particularly
the UK, must be reduced to maintain the natural, agricultural balance.
Studies suggest that
high stock levels in fields, particularly sheep, often lead to the decline in
land fertility. An example of these badlands is illustrated by Oxford researchers
who noted that in Karoo, South Africa, high stock numbers have caused a
vegetation change, triggering the formation of badlands which are infertile (Environmental Hazards of Wool/ The Wool
Industry/ Animals Used For Clothing/ The Issues/ PETA. 2014.) Before the
turn of the century, Argentina was second to Australia in terms of wool
production, but the scale of the operation outgrew the ability of the land to
sustain it. As a result, soil erosion has caused a huge desertification process
which is estimated to effect 93% of the land. Argentina can no longer sustain
itself as a major wool producer. (Environmental
Hazards of Wool/ The Wool Industry/ Animals Used For Clothing/ The Issues/
PETA. 2014.)
However,
although it is suggested that sheep farming is destroying our natural
environment because of overcrowding, farmers argue that this has to be done so
they can sustain themselves and the farm. The price of wool has continued to
fall over recent years, with the British Wool Marketing Board only paying one
or two pounds per fleece. (Nigel Woodrup,
2003.) This does not even cover the cost of the sheep shearing. Farmers
need to get more wool per field to try to be cost effective. This is compared
to the price of wool in 1902 which was five to ten pounds per fleece. Market
development has driven down prices, so wool can compete with cheaper man-made
fibres.
The fast
growing textile industry has meant that wool production has had to develop,
otherwise it risks not being a cost effective fibre. This in turn has led to
the formation of a form of intensive farming, where to get a return on their
investment, sheep farmers are cramming fields full of sheep.
There is an
argument against sheep farming and its impacts on the environment, suggesting
that, particularly in the UK, sheep farming is part of the landscape and an
integral part of the local economy. Putting more sheep in the fields is
allowing the farmers to sustain their businesses. So, in turn intensive sheep
farming is allowing smaller sheep farms to keep running. (BBC One - Countryfile, Gwaun BBC One - Countryfile, Gwaun Valley.
2014.)
Collapse of Bangladeshi Sweatshop
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In the farming
industry a big change had been pushed by the consumer, not only in wool
production, but in all areas a consumer’s shopping habits. The media has
publicised the poor standards of the world’s farming industry and the consumer
now wants to know where the product is from. The consumer wants to be
re-assured that no-one had been exploited in the making of the product, that high
levels of animal standards are met and that our natural environment is not
being destroyed. As a nation, we are constantly being reminded that the way we
live is causing our eventual death through global warming.
Because the
consumer is now very much more aware of the farming industry, special measures
are undertaken to make sure that both a low price and some level of ethnical
values are balanced in products such as wool. In many cases this is not enough,
for example the collapse of the Bagladeshi sweetshop factory in 2013. This
signified to the consumer the huge problems that are still evident in the
western textile culture. In many areas of the industry, this has led to the
production of org anic and fair trade versions of products, and
wool production is no different.
An example
of the media publicising the downfalls of the farming industry is, a ‘Panorama’
TV episode on BBC one. This programme is watched around the UK by thousands,
and it pointed out the problems that sheep farming is causing to the Lake
District. (BBC One - Countryfile, Gwaun
BBC One - Countryfile, Gwaun Valley. 2014.)
Organic
wool is produced on sheep farms which put both livestock and environment ahead
of enormous profit. This means that as well as being a natural product, wool is
renewable and biodegradable, a more sustainable farming practice. (Soil association; Organic wool. 2014.)
Sheep which
produce organic wool are bred and tended with their wellbeing at the heart of
the farm. Organic farmers eliminate cruel and barbaric practices, reducing the
stress amongst livestock, leading to a better quality of life for the
livestock. Organic livestock is also reared on organic land, without chemicals
and pesticides and are allowed roam freely, often referred to as free range. (Soil association; Organic wool. 2014.)
Once the
wool has been shaven off the sheep, the term organic stretches into the
manufacturing and production of fashion and other woollen products. The
chemicals used in the manufacturing of wool from a fibre to useable yarn, have
to meet strict requirements and all organic manufacturers must have a water
treatment plant to prevent toxic chemicals entering the water supply. By
preventing the use of potentially harmful chemicals, the end woollen
yarn/product is left residue free. This makes the wool less harmful, as it has
been shown that the chemicals in non-organic wool could lead to the development
of allergies and skin rashes. (Soil
association; Organic wool. 2014.)
There are a range of
designers and companies which are keen to spread the word about their use of
orangic wool intheir products.
Jo Storie
is a UK based designer from Cornwall. She works as part of a larger organic
wool organisation, ‘Cornish Organic Wool’. Jo Storie aims to create knitwear
which is respectful of both the individual and the environment, trying to make
eco-fashion fashionable. Her collections of chunky knit fashion are stylish and
organic. (Jo Storie/Cornish Organic Wool.
2014.)
Across the
world, in New Zealand a company is also using organic wool in their products. This shows that the
desire for organic wool is worldwide. “Treliske Organic, home to
some of the world’s purest "certified organic" wool, knitwear,
babywear, beef and lamb.” (Treliske
Organic - producer and exporter of certified organic merino wool & wool
products - knitwear, yarn and babywear also beef and lamb from Central Otago,
New Zealand. 2014.)
Treliske Organic Knitwear
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It is often argued
that the wool industry is a barbaric form of farming where because there is a
market for their fleeces, they are treated as nothing more than wool producing
machines. (Mulesing by the wool Industry/
The Wool Industry/Animals Used For Clothing/ The Issues/PETA 2014.) The
wool industry abuses sheep in ways that would warrant cruelty to animal charges
if cats or dogs were the victims.
So, is
going organic really the sustainable future that the wool industry needs? It
does seem like organic farming is a step towards a better more ethnical farming
focused more around the welfare of livestock, but why do all farmers not do
this? The answer is cost. All of the extra production and natural farming
methods increase the values of the end product, in the case wool. The trouble
is that we as consumers want to make sure we get everything at the best price.
The development of a throw away consumer culture has meant that the consumer
wants the product as cheap as they can obtain it. Quality is not taken into
consideration.
We, as consumers
would rather buy cheap products which are not organic or ethnical because of
their low pricing. This is shown in the current market from the constant rising
of cheap budget chainstores, such as Primark, Which has been linked to
sweatshop labour in the past. This however, has affected sales and ‘Primark
have been forced to change the way the manufacture their clothing lines. As a
society, we are worried about where our products come from, but are we willing
to pay the price?
So, is the future of
the wool industry really sustainable? If the industry carries on as it is now
with its lack of animal ethnics and care for the environment, I do not think it
is. The consumer will continue to be reminded of the horrendous lengths sheep
farmers go to get a profit, and consumers will look to other fabrics or fibres
such as polyester fleece and cotton flannel, which are cheaper and perhaps more
ethnical. To be able to be sustained,
the consumer must change their attitude to the cost of products. There are many
very innovative designers and companies using organic wool, which celebrates
its qualities as a fab ric. The consumer, and only us, must decide
which price they will pay; the cost to livestock and the environment or to
their wallets?
2,023 words (excluding references)
