Over the past few years, I’ve been working on a long-term photography project (more on that another time) focused on wool in France and Portugal. It’s a subject that both fascinates and frustrates me. After many conversations with brands, manufacturers, farmers, and experts, it’s become clear that we are rapidly losing sight of the value of this important natural fiber. As demand for cheaper, fossil fuel–based alternatives continues to surge, the market for wool is steadily drying up.

Images above: Rosa Pomar

“Only strong political decisions at an international level regarding the true cost of fossil-based fibers will make a decisive impact on the global usage of wool."

I recently heard that Portugal lost one of its only remaining wool-washing (scouring) facilities, which processed wool for many companies nationwide. The future of wool production in Portugal is at risk. It’s heartbreaking, as the supply chain was already weak and fragmented. Now, without the primary washing facility, many brands that once managed all steps of the supply chain in Portugal may have to import or have their wool washed outside the country if they purchase in bulk and prefer not to do it themselves. 

It’s estimated that wool represents at most 1% of the fiber used today by the textile industry. 1%! Think about that for a moment. And because sheep’s wool is now an underused resource, around 90% of it (millions of tons per year) is thrown away. Many farmers burn or bury their wool, even though it's often against the law, as they have no use for it. Many see value in the meat and milk from their sheep but not the wool.

“Here in Portugal, this is such a complex problem. I don’t think there is a lack of funding, but there certainly is a lack of vision,” explains Rosa Pomar, a textile researcher and owner of the brand Retrosaria. “Only strong political decisions at an international level regarding the true cost of fossil-based fibers will make a decisive impact on the global usage of wool. Small brands like mine and so many others have been creating high-quality products that appeal to a minority of people. Last year, I bought and transformed 15 tons of raw wool, corresponding to 4% of the national clip of native wool. This corresponds to less than 1% of the Portuguese yearly wool clip. People must be aware of the fact that small businesses, crafters, and minimills, all of those together, are just a drop in an ocean of millions of tons of wool going to waste every year in Europe.”

“The future is not clear,” Rosa told me after the news of the latest washing facility closing. “We might need to do the scouring in Spain or maybe elsewhere, but that makes no sense when our project is based on doing everything as close to home as possible.”

We as an industry need to educate people about the state of these industries now. When the market demands more wool and other high-quality fabrics, there are more incentives for governments to invest in their production. Without these materials, we are reliant on importing lesser-quality materials from abroad. The jobs of shepherds and farmers are put at risk, and brands that want to work locally may no longer be able to.

We also risk losing the culture, traditions, and rituals behind these crafts. As my colleague Pascal of Made in Town said, “Without the diversity of sheep and rare breeds, the landscape in France would be completely different.” These sheep also have adapted to the temperatures, the climate, and the terrain in which they live – protecting the land from fires and other natural disasters.

Wool was once used in countless products that many people have forgotten about, from mattress filling to firefighting uniforms, thanks to its natural flame resistance. It’s also been used for building insulation, lanolin-based skincare balms, rust prevention, and waterproofing leather. In regenerative farming, raw or waste wool has even been buried directly in fields as a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer. Wool fibers were used to polish silver and mirrors, and of course, have long been prized in winter clothing. Naturally odor-resistant, with both warming and cooling properties, wool is also biodegradable—the list goes on.

With all of these benefits, we hope to help support a comeback.

This is my call to buyers, retailers, and lovers of handmade wool: buy more of it! Read the tags. Pay attention to the materials in your products. We can vote with our dollars.

To end on a more hopeful note, I want to share a list of incredible, hard-working brands I know personally that are committed to producing beautiful products using Portuguese wool:

Photos above: 

Paula Neves (top 3 images from left) 

Ecola - (top right image)