Alpaca woolen products are often presented as sustainable and with a low impact on the environment. But what about the indigenous people? Does alpaca farming help the indigenous communities in a positive way?
gawkily Alpaca farming supports many (very) poor communities in the Andean highlands across Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. Large-scale producers buy the fleece from local farmers and produce high-quality yarn with it. Farmers might lose out on profits, while limiting their cost and risk at the same time.
While it might seem limiting on the indigenous peoples that they (need to) work with larger corporations to sell their wool, there are many cultural differences that need to be addressed before jumping to conclusions.
http://vbrisket.com/category/career/page/2/ Indigenous Alpaqueros: Peru & Bolivia
The majority of alpaca wool is sourced from South America: Peru has the highest population of alpacas (84% according to CONACS) and is the main exporter of wool and Bolivia is home to the second largest population of alpaca (11.7% according to CONACS).
According to a report of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), Bolivia has 745,000 rural families, of whom 54,000 families depend on camelids, with an average of 43.9 alpacas per family. Most alpaca farmers in Bolivia can be found in the highlands of La Paz, Oruro and Potosí. In the rural areas of Bolivia, 80% of the inhabitants live in poverty, 60% in extreme poverty.
In Peru, the majority of alpaca farmers live in Puno, Arequipa and Cusco, where a distinction is made between small, medium and large alpaca farms:
| Small Alpaca Farm | Medium Alpaca Farm | Large Alpaca Farm |
|---|---|---|
| <100 alpacas | 100 – 250 alpacas | >250 alpacas |
| 90% of all alpaca farmers | 5% of all alpaca farmers | 5% of all alpaca farmers |
According to CONACS, many small alpaca farmers live in extreme poverty (I couldn’t find a concrete number!).
Whereas medium and large alpaca farms can dedicate more funds, time, research, etc. to vertical production (including other profitable activities like yarn production and wholesale) and fiber quality improvement, small farmers have no funds to do so. This limits their position significantly (!) compared to large-scale farmers.
Small farmers often dedicate themselves to producing raw fleece. They do not get involved in spinning wool and making products. However, you might find an individual or so who does – often more so out of necessity than anything else. A small farm or individual would not be able to meet the production scale of the medium and larger farms.
Small farmers often herd alpacas only as a part of their business, and need to do other agricultural activities in order to get by. However, participating in the alpaca industry does provide a steady income to them, however small it may be. They can benefit from the success of the bigger, international players without additional work.
In short, one of the reasons why there are such high poverty levels in rural areas in Peru and Bolivia, is because small farmers don’t have the funds or knowledge to make their alpaca business grow. They are too small to set up a vertical production system and generally too resistant to change to make the effort.
Alpaca Wool Is a (High Quality) Export Product
Alpaca wool and alpaca woolen products have become increasingly popular over the last few decades. No longer limited to souvenirs from Peru or very exclusive brands, alpaca wool is becoming more and more mainstream due to its high quality fiber and relatively low price. That is, for Western countries.
According to Andina.pe 90% of the world’s alpaca comes from Peru and 80% of all alpaca wool in Peru is exported. This means A) that Peru is the leading producer of alpaca wool, and B) that most alpaca wool is exported to other countries.
This leads to the conclusion that prices have increased tremendously and that they have become too high for the Andean people themselves. When I lived in Peru, the people in Peru loved and adored everything alpaca, but they knew that they could never afford it. “Oh, yes, alpaca wool… that’s for the foreigners,” they would say.
Large producers (either with their own alpacas or with raw fleece bought from small farmers) produce high quality yarn that meets the demands of a (growing) international market. With large-scale production, producers can reduce cost and increase the quality of their products.
The risk and downside of this system, however, is that only a small percentage of the real price of alpaca wool stays with local farmers in the Andes. A bigger share goes to producers and an even bigger share goes to the manufacturers and distributors of alpaca woolen end-products.
Traditions and Traumas Influence the Way of Life for the Indigenous People
Centuries ago, when the Spanish arrived in South America, many alpacas were killed or crossbred with llamas because the conquistadores didn’t see any use in them. Indigenous people were pushed away high into the Andes due to colonization and while this happened they took the alpacas with them. During these times of conflict and terror, the alpaca was there for them.
Read more about the history of alpaca wool in another article I wrote: What Is the History of Alpaca Wool?
This relationship has brought a special bond to the indigenous populations of Andean countries. Farmers cherish their animals and don’t necessarily see them as a mere source of income. Alpacas are part of the family. Herding alpacas is a way of life.
So, whether is due to trauma or tradition, the Andean mindset has some distinct features:
- According to Sarah Schmid (2006) the andean people maintain an economic rationality that is not necessarily most beneficial for them. For example, they will limit the amount of shearing to “save” the wool for harsher times, while it is generally accepted that alpaca wool grows faster and better if it is shorn annually.
By doing this, farmers will risk a decrease in fiber quality and thus a decrease in income. “Economic rationality” limits the profitability of alpaca farming.
While I couldn’t find any academic evidence to support my following point, I know from personal experience that the people in the Andes are incredibly humble. While they are some of the sweetest, warm and caring people you will ever meet, they are also very reluctant in affirming themselves.
- More than once I saw how locals were pushed into agreeing on a bargain that ended up being less beneficial for them than for the party on the other end of the deal. However, when opportunities are limited, you are more inclined to accept a deal even though it is not an optimal one: it is better to have something than nothing.
On the other hand, a distinct mentality of the people in the Andes can be explained by the impact left on the indigenous people during the time of terrorism. Many farmers are left with distrust and rebelling feelings against change.
Internal Division in Andean Countries Maintains the Indigenous People at a Distance
According to Sarah Schmid (2006), another important factor is the cultural difference between the indigenous farmer population (with little to no education) on the one side, and the generally white population (higher educated) that is responsible for the industry on the other side.
The cultural differences lead to intransparency and inequality. Lack of proper education leads to a lack of knowledge of their legal rights, or even simple negotiation tactics. If indigenous farmers are kept unaware of national trends, they will not be able to negotiate a better position for themselves and their business.
The fact that alpaca wool has been treated as an export product for decades adds to this challenge for indigenous farmers: indigenous communities have limited connections with other parts of the world. Again, they are left out of any possibility to improve their circumstances.
The Rise of International Alpaca Farming Can Jeopardize the Position of the Andean Farmers
With the increase of farmers in countries like the US and Australia, Andean countries are seeing a decrease in their global share and now have to compete with producers that have way more resources available to them.
Farms in other countries might jeopardize the position of (indigenous) farmers in Peru, while it might benefit the position of the alpaca. Many “foreign” alpaca farms will have much more funds and knowledge available to improve breeds and their fleece.
People in the Andes will have very limited possibilities to do so, which could potentially cause them to lose their prominent market position.
What Is The Future of Andean Alpaca Farms?
The indigenous people that stayed in the Andean highlands after the terrorism of the Shining Path have very little left: limited access to education or healthcare, poorly functioning sewage and running water, and unreliable electricity.
Their situation has not improved much ever since. Reluctant governmental support and extremely high migration rates are causing serious problems for Andean communities. On top of that, climate change is becoming another problem.
Andean communities have barely enough means to feed themselves and their families, let alone provide excellent nutrition to their animals. Luckily, alpacas need very little and can find a great deal of nutrients in grass and foliage: something that is abundantly available in the wet Andean highlands.
However, climate change is taking its toll on the environment and some areas in the Andean highlands are on the verge of desertification.
- Read more about the consequences of climate change in the Andean Highland in the following document from PAHO: Andean Highland Climate
Migration to the cities is taking another toll on small breeders: since alpaca wool is not a major source of income for most small farmers, herding is left to family members as a side-job. But the youth these days has found more lucrative jobs in the nearby mines or in the bigger cities, while others choose to study. Very few choose to stay home to watch the alpacas.
For example, in Puno, farmers are generally between 44 and 65 years old! (Source: CONACS)
Migration to the cities leads to the disappearance of local traditions that maintain alpaca farming, too. For example, andean communities highly rely on manpower. Traditionally, people within a community work together on each other’s land, crops, farms, etc. And when the time comes, they interexchange their labor or their goods. This is called ayni and is one of the three pillars of Inca society.
But, with less family members available and less people in communities helping out with each others’ work, this framework and the entire foundations of the Andean community are about to collapse.
