Alpacas and llamas are farmed globally for their fibre. Welfare standards in fibre production vary widely, with shearing practices, housing conditions and human handling being the key welfare determinants.
Alpaca and llama fibre sits at a complicated intersection of animal welfare, indigenous livelihoods, and luxury fashion. When managed well, fibre harvesting from camelids can be low-welfare-impact — the animals are not killed, shearing is necessary for their health, and small-scale Andean farming involves multi-generational relationships between herders and animals. The welfare problems arise from intensification, poor handling practices, and inadequate facilities on larger commercial operations. Shearing causes acute stress regardless of method, but calm, skilled shearers using appropriate facilities minimise this. Welfare certification schemes are imperfect but represent progress toward supply chain accountability in a sector previously opaque to consumers.