Natural fibres, such as cotton and wool, are a fundamental part of the fashion industry. They are needed for producing various apparel such as shirts, jeans, jackets, and other garments.
Most of the cotton produced today uses chemical pesticides and fertilizers to increase its yield. The misuse of those chemicals has shown to degrade the soil quality and negatively affect its capacity to sequester carbon (Farra, 2020; Meena, et al., 2020). On the other hand, wool production has been linked with excessive energy, water, and land use and with the release of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere (Wiedemann, et al., 2013). This usually happens in a traditional grazing system or continuous grazing system where livestock, such as sheep and llamas, graze on a specific area they have access to, leaving no space for the key revitalizing element of periodic rest from defoliation for plants (Teague, et al., 2013).
However, these fibres could be produced sustainably and can have positive environmental impacts through regenerative practices. "Regenerative practices are a method of sustainable farming where agriculture replenishes and strengthens the plant, soil, and nature surrounding it" (Farra, 2020). In the production of plant fibres, such as cotton, regenerative practices utilize techniques such as crop rotation for nutrient cycling, and cover crops to manage soil erosion, soil fertility, soil quality, water, weeds, pests, diseases, biodiversity, and wildlife in an agroecosystem (Ferrigno, et al., 2008; Snapp, et al., 2005). It also uses animal and plant residues to provide nutrients to the soil and tools for pest management by creating traps and providing elements for controlling pests (Ferrigno, et al., 2008).
Source: komodo.online
Similarly, animal fibres, such as wool, can also be produced sustainably and have positive environmental impacts. By switching from traditional grazing system to smart grazing methods, such as Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) grazing system, forage growth and land recovery can be optimized (Stanley, et al., 2018). In an AMP grazing system, livestock grazes on a specific area (paddock) before moving on to the next one, and the area they grazed on is left for recovery. In this system, plants retain their capacity for photosynthesis, and the manure left by livestock provide nutrients to the soil. This system ensures efficient photosynthesis by plants; interception and retention of precipitation in the soil, due to efficient photosynthesis; optimal cycling of nutrients; and promotion of high ecosystem biodiversity with more complex mixtures and combinations of desirable plant species (Teague, et al., 2013).
Source: phys.org
By adopting regenerative agricultural practices, the fashion industry could become sustainable, and the natural fibres produced can have positive environmental impacts. Regenerative practices also show great potential in combating climate change, by sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide, increasing soil organic matter (through the plant and animal residues), and supporting efficient photosynthesis in plants (Stockmann, et al., 2013).
References
Farra, E. (2020, June 11). Regenerative Agriculture Can Change the Fashion Industry—And the World. But What Is It? Retrieved from: https://www.vogue.com/article/regenerative-agriculture-sustainable-fashion-christy-dawn-fibershed
Ferrigno, S.; & Lizarraga, A. (2008). Components of a sustainable cotton production system: perspectives from the organic cotton experience. 67th Plenary Meeting. Ouagadougou: International Cotton Advisory Committee.
Meena, R.; Kumar, S.; Datta, R.; Lal, R.; Vijayakumar, V.; Brtnicky, M.; &. Pathan, S. (2020). Impact of agrochemicals on soil microbiota and management: A review. Land, 34.
Snapp, S.; Swinton, S.; Labarta, R.; Mutch, D.; Black, J.; Leep, R.; & O'neil, K. (2005). Evaluating cover crops for benefits, costs and performance within cropping system niches. Agronomy journal, pp. 322-332.
Stanley, P.; Rowntree, J.; Beede, D.; DeLonge, M.; & Hamm, M. (2018). Impacts of soil carbon sequestration on life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in Midwestern USA beef finishing systems. Agricultural Systems, pp. 249-258.
Stockmann, U. A.; Crawford, J.; Field, D.; Henakaarchchi, N.; Jenkins, M.; Minasny, B.; & Wheeler, I. (2013). The knowns, known unknowns and unknowns of sequestration of soil organic carbon. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, pp. 80-99.
Teague, R.; Provenza, F.; Kreuter, U.; Steffens, T.; & Barnes, M. (2013). Multi-paddock grazing on rangelands: why the perceptual dichotomy between research results and rancher experience? Journal of Environmental management, pp. 699-717.
Wiedemann, S.; Yan, M.; Henry, B.; & Murphy, C. (2016). Resource use and greenhouse gas emissions from three wool production regions in Australia. Journal of Cleaner Production, pp. 121-132.
Original text - before proofreading
The Role of Regenerative ecosystems in Sustainable Fashion
Natural fibres such as cotton and wool are a fundamental part of the fashion industry as they are needed for producing various apparels such as shirts, jeans, jackets and other garments. Most of the cotton produced today use chemical pesticides and fertilizers to increase their yield and the misuse of those chemicals has also shown to degrade the soil quality along with negatively affecting its capacity to sequester carbon (Meena, et al., 2020; Farra, 2020). Wool production, on the other hand, has been linked with excessive energy use, water use and land use change as well as with the release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere (Wiedemann, Yan, Henry, & Murphy, 2016). This usually happens in a traditional grazing system or continuous grazing system where livestock such as sheep and llamas graze on a specific area they have access to, leaving no space for the key revitalising element of periodic rest from defoliation for plants (Teague, Provenza, Kreuter, Steffens, & Barnes, 2013).
However, these fibres could also be produced sustainably and can have positive environmental impacts instated of negative through regenerative practices. ‘Regenerative practices are a method of sustainable farming where agriculture replenishes and strengthens the plant, soil, and nature surrounding it’ (Farra, 2020). In the production of plant fibres such as cotton, regenerative practices utilise techniques such as crop rotation for nutrient cycling, and cover crops to manage soil erosion, soil fertility, soil quality, water, weeds, pests, diseases, biodiversity and wildlife in an agroecosystem (Ferrigno & Lizarraga, 2008; Snapp, et al., 2005). It also makes use of animal and plant residues for providing nutrients to the soil and tools for pest management by creating traps and providing elements for controlling pests (Ferrigno & Lizarraga, 2008).
Source: komodo.online
Similarly, animal fibres such as wool can also be produced sustainably and have positive environmental impacts. By switching from traditional grazing system to smart grazing methods such as Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) grazing system, forage growth and land recovery can be optimised (Stanley, Rowntree, Beede, DeLonge, & Hamm, 2018). In an AMP grazing system, livestock graze on a specific area (paddock) before moving on to the next one, and the area they grazed on is left for recovery. In this system, plants retain their capacity for photosynthesis, and the manure left by livestock provide nutrients to the soil. This system ensures efficient photosynthesis by plants, interception and retention of precipitation in the soil due to efficient photosynthesis, optimal cycling of nutrients, and promotion of high ecosystem biodiversity with more complex mixtures and combinations of desirable plant species (Teague, Provenza, Kreuter, Steffens, & Barnes, 2013).
Source: phys.org
By adopting regenerative agricultural practices, the fashion industry could become sustainable, and the natural fibres produced can have positive environmental impacts. Regenerative practices also show great potential in combatting climate change by sequestrating atmospheric carbon dioxide by increasing soil organic matter (through the plant and animal residues) and supporting efficient photosynthesis in plants (Stockmann, et al., 2013).
Author: Archit Tamboli
References
Farra, E. (2020, June 11). Regenerative Agriculture Can Change the Fashion Industry—And the World. But What Is It? Retrieved from Vogue: https://www.vogue.com/article/regenerative-agriculture-sustainable-fashion-christy-dawn-fibershed
Ferrigno, S., & Lizarraga, A. (2008). Components of a sustainable cotton production system: perspectives from the organic cotton experience. 67th Plenary Meeting. Ouagadougou: International Cotton Advisory Committee.
Meena, R., Kumar, S., Datta, R., Lal, R., Vijayakumar, V., Brtnicky, M., . . . Pathan, S. (2020). Impact of agrochemicals on soil microbiota and management: A review. Land, 34.
Snapp, S., Swinton, S., Labarta, R., Mutch, D., Black, J., Leep, R., . . . O'neil, K. (2005). Evaluating cover crops for benefits, costs and performance within cropping system niches. Agronomy journal, 322-332.
Stanley, P., Rowntree, J., Beede, D., DeLonge, M., & Hamm, M. (2018). Impacts of soil carbon sequestration on life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in Midwestern USA beef finishing systems. Agricultural Systems, 249-258.
Stockmann, U. A., Crawford, J., Field, D., Henakaarchchi, N., Jenkins, M., Minasny, B., . . . Wheeler, I. (2013). The knowns, known unknowns and unknowns of sequestration of soil organic carbon. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 80-99.
Teague, R., Provenza, F., Kreuter, U., Steffens, T., & Barnes, M. (2013). Multi-paddock grazing on rangelands: why the perceptual dichotomy between research results and rancher experience? Journal of Environmental management, 699-717.
Wiedemann, S., Yan, M., Henry, B., & Murphy, C. (2016). Resource use and greenhouse gas emissions from three wool production regions in Australia. Journal of Cleaner Production, 121-132.