Environmental Sustainability

By using alpaca yarns in our wraps we are doing our small part in slowing climate change and limiting our use of precious natural resources. 

Alpacas are perfectly suited to the harsh conditions of the Andes Mountains where they graze in herds at elevations between 11,000 - 16,000 feet. They may well be the greenest animals on the planet! Here’s why:

• Alpacas have hooves with soft, thick pads that prevent them from damaging their grazing areas

• Their unique gastrointestinal anatomy means their eating and drinking habits are more effective than other grazing animals - thus reducing their environmental impact

• They graze on native grasses - no harsh chemicals required to maintain their pastures

• The super soft alpaca fibers do not require any harsh chemical treatments or added synthetics, like those used in the merino “superwash” process, to make it soft, wearable, and washable

• Once the alpacas are shorn, the fleece is washed with a “root” detergent - we do not use any store bought detergents

• After the fleece is washed then it is carded (a process of straightening out the clumps of fleece and detangling it - getting it ready for spinning). We do not use electricity. We use a hand carder that look like two paddles

• Alpaca fleece comes in 22 natural shades! This means we never have to use artificial colors, only dyes that are derived from plants, minerals, or fungi

• The fleece is spun into yarn with hand-held spindles. The artisans take their spindles with them wherever they go and keep spinning while doing other chores in their homes

This short video about sustainability and Peruvian alpaca was produced by one of our environmentally conscious suppliers. While their production processes are much more extensive than ours, their concern and care for the environment is the same as ours.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE21Sd4oQ4s&ab_channel=IncaTopsGrupoInca

Preservation of Traditional Craftsmanship

According to UNESCO, globalization poses significant challenges to the survival of traditional forms of craftsmanship. Mass production, whether on the level of large multinational corporations or local cottage industries, can often supply goods at a lower cost, both in terms of currency and time, than hand production. Many artisans struggle to adapt to this competition. 

For 30+ years, the textiles used in our products have only been produced by artisans who work on looms in their homes or in community work spaces (no big factory producers for us). I personally have traveled all over Latin America and have been awed again and again by the skills of the artisans I have met - using spinning and weaving methods and practices that have been passed down from grandparents, mothers, fathers and members of their small communities. 

We at Ama Nomad strive to do what we can to ensure there will always be a demand for textiles and fabrics produced by hand, made by skilled artisans whose crafts has been practiced in virtually the same way for hundreds of years.

In our current product line, our event earrings (event earrings shop) are made with up-cycled textiles woven by artisans who create their works on looms in their homes or in community work spaces. One of the most common weaving methods they use is called back-strap weaving. It is undoubtedly one of the most difficult weaving methods in the world. The skills are passed down from the older generation to the very young, so by the time an individual is a teenager they have effectively been an apprentice for 10 years or more and their work looks effortless.