Welfare of Animals in Global Supply Chains for Textiles

Global textile supply chains sourcing animal fibers including cashmere, alpaca, angora, and silk involve welfare conditions that are largely invisible to end consumers.

Key Facts

Global cashmere production has quadrupled in 25 years, with associated overgrazing and goat welfare decline
Angora rabbit fiber harvest involves plucking that causes extreme stress as documented by animal welfare investigations
Alpaca shearing can be welfare-positive or negative depending entirely on handler training and technique
The Responsible Wool Standard, Responsible Mohair Standard, and similar schemes address supply chain welfare

Welfare Considerations

Textile animal fiber welfare suffers from the same supply chain opacity problems as food animal welfare. Consumers buying cashmere sweaters rarely have visibility into whether the goats that produced the fiber were overcrowded, malnourished, or handled humanely. Angora rabbit welfare has been documented as severely compromised in many Chinese farms that supply global markets. Alpaca welfare varies enormously between welfare-positive traditional Andean herding contexts and intensive commercial operations. Certification schemes exist but vary in welfare content and auditing rigor. Consumer pressure on brands to adopt and verify welfare standards across fiber supply chains has driven significant improvements in some sectors.

What You Can Do

Research the welfare provisions of fiber certification schemes before purchasing animal fiber products
Support brands that have adopted independently audited animal fiber welfare standards
Avoid angora products unless from certified sources given documented welfare problems in many facilities
Advocate for brands you purchase from to publish supply chain welfare audit results