10th February 2014 - Contextual studies essay.... Is The Future Of The Wool Industry Really Sustainable?

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.

Mulesing 1

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

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.)

Jo Storie Knitwear

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

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)