Unlike manmade materials, the Alpaca production process is based on ancient practices where taking care of the earth is a priority of the people. Alpacas eat 1/3 of the food that traditional sheep do and they and they help preserve the environment by only nibbling the upper part of the grass, not harming the roots. Alpaca fiber also doesn't use any harsh chemicals when being washed, whereas Merino and other wools use super-washing which releases toxins into the environment. Their manure is used to help fertilize the soil, helping improve the soil quality and water retention. In the spring, alpacas are carefully shorn by their caretakers who do not harm the animals in any way. Alpaca fiber production is part of a circular process and the proceeds are 100% biodegradable & renewable. The ancient practice of raising alpacas has been maintained for millennia. In Bolivia, the country we source alpacas from, they roam free in huge pastures and in mountainous terrain. The alpacas not only provide an income to impoverished communities but they also help regenerate their pastures so they can increase their herds and improve their agricultural production.

The Alpaca has been domesticated by indigenous communities in Bolivia and Peru for thousands of years. We currently source 100% of our Alpaca from a network of 60,000 Bolivian families of herders, and farmers that are descendants of ancient civilizations including the Incas. We chose to source our Alpaca fiber from Bolivia due to the traditional ancient practices that are continued today by the indigenous communities that raise them. For many of these communities, raising alpacas is their only source of income. Selling the fiber and yarn helps improve their living standards and allows them to reinvest in their communities. Today, over 4 million Alpacas call the South American countries of Peru and Bolivia home, with lesser populations in Chile and Ecuador. After Peru, Bolivia has the world's second largest alpaca population with an estimated 500,000 living within the country.