Does Collective Fashion Justice have it in for wool farmers?

We do not wish any harm on the people within the wool industry. However, we do wish to see a just transition to plant-based agriculture and the development of lab-grown fibres that don’t require animal harm. It is more sustainable and ethical. You can learn more about these issues on this website and the Collective Fashion Justice website.

What’s wrong with wool?

The wool industry is a slaughter industry that is built upon the transformation of thinking, feeling individuals into commodities to be exploited, sold and slaughtered. Cruel mutilations are legal standard practice in the industry, too.

What’s more, the wool industry, as with animal agriculture more broadly, is not sustainable. Responsible for high greenhouse gas emissions, mass land clearing and degradation, as well as eutrophication, plant-based farming done well is a far better choice for us all.

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Don’t sheep need to be shorn?

Yes, they do. But only because sheep have been selectively bred for so long to have more wool so that we can wear and sell more of it. The original ancestor of selectively bred (and so genetically modified) sheep is the mouflon, who naturally sheds their winter coat in summer. If we stop breeding sheep for their exploitation and slaughter, there won’t be farmed sheep that need shearing.

Aren’t animals an important part of sustainable or regenerative agriculture?

If we produced plant-based fibres rather than those from animals, we would be creating a far more land- use efficient agricultural system. So, we would need less land to produce the same amount of fibre, leaving other land to return to nature, and be habitat to an array of biodiversity. No agricultural use of land can be better for carbon sequestration and environmental regeneration than rewilding. Further, regenerative, rotational grazing has been found in a study with over 300 sources not to cause a meaningful net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as has been claimed.

Isn’t cotton very water-intensive?

Cotton does use a lot of water, whether it is rain-fed or irrigated. It’s important to note though, that agriculture in general is water-intensive. According to  ABS data, in 2019 one hectare of cotton required 7.1 mega litres (ML/ha) of irrigation water to grow to harvest. In the same year, rice required 9.9ML/ha, fruit and nuts required 6.2ML/ha, and vegetables required 3.4ML/ha.

Farmers are given water licenses they can use to buy water for their crops or pasture for farmed animals. Communities and the environment are allocated water first, followed in order by animal farmers, farmers with fruit trees or other vegetation that take years to grow and die without water, and finally annual crop farmers like cotton farmers. If there’s not enough water, cotton farmers simply aren’t given allocation. There is important room for discussion regarding how allocations are set to begin with.

There is alsorain-fed cotton, which is a really great option when it’s available.

Aren’t genetically modified crops bad?

No, the Bt cotton that we grow in Australia actually results in less pesticides being sprayed over the land. Bt cotton is genetically modified to contain the genes of a bacteria which protects it from harmful insects. Bt is a natural, biological bacteria, and is sprayed on top of cotton plants grown in organic systems. Having the Bt inside the cotton itself is just a more targeted approach. This invention and other management practices have resulted in insecticide use in Australia going down by 97% since 1992.

So is cotton perfectly sustainable?

No, most things are not. In reality, the most sustainable thing we can do is buy less, and only buy what we need. But if a knitted jumper is what you need, these cotton knits are biodegradable, land-use efficient, more sustainable than many other options, not based in the exploitation and slaughter of animals, and support Aussie farmers.

Why not hemp or another material?

Hemp is a a great sustainable material too, although it needs to be processed further than cotton as a bast fibre, and still won’t be as soft. Surprising to many, water requirements between hemp and cotton grown in Australia are not so different, according to the CSIRO. There are many interesting plant-based fibres we’d love to explore using and this isn’t about competition between them. We love cotton though, and it’s widely available, soft, and not a product of violence.

What’s the best way to reduce my fashion footprint?

Don’t buy garments you don’t absolutely love and plan to wear for years. Don’t buy garments you don’t really need, that you have something similar to. Buy vintage, buy second-hand.

Sustainable fashion isn’t only about how clothes are made, but how they are cared for. If you do buy a knit garment today, or any garment, wash it only as you need, and do so in the way which is least impactful. Mend and repair it. Love and care for it.

Why are the garments more expensive than some others?

Everyone’s work deserves to be valued. Everyone deserves to work in a safe environment that allows them to afford a comfortable life. Fair fashion is more expensive because it ensures these things.

However, if we reconsider our consumption habits by buying well, buying less and buying pre-loved and vintage, the monetary cost can even out. Every 10 minutes in Australia, 6 tonnes of clothing is sent to landfill. It’s time to change our shopping habits by moving away from fast fashion where possible and viewing clothing as an investment.

All profits from this knitwear collection fund Collective Fashion Justice and our work.

What’s the garment care label made of?

The garment label is the only element which is not Australian grown and made. We were not able to source labels made from Australian cotton, so instead wanted to use recycled cotton — an option which was not available to us if labels were produced in Australia. Our recycled cotton labels come from Woven Label Source, in Tampa, USA.

What do I do if I don’t want my knit anymore?

If for some reason you have loved your knit jumper as much as you can, give it to someone else. Swap it with a friend, sell it online, give it to charity, unravel the yarn and knit it into something else!