From October 13th to 17th, Textile Exchange, a global non-profit driving beneficial impacts for climate and nature across the fashion, textile and apparel industry, hosted its annual conference in Lisbon, Portugal.
Under the theme “Shifting Landscapes”, the event brought together specialists from all areas of the global supply system, including producers, suppliers, brands and retailers. This year’s agenda highlighted the urgency for the industry to rapidly adapt to changing environments, both to mitigate risk and unlock opportunities for systems transformation.
As a result of the project carried out by WCS Argentina to promote the sustainable production of natural fibers as textile raw materials, the organization was invited to share its experience at the conference. Diego Matías Lienan, a sheep and goat producer from northern Patagonia, and Ezequiel Infantino, certification and value chain coordinator at WCS Argentina, shared their experiences of the work being done in regenerative and wildlife friendly management in southern Argentina.
“Textile Exchange invited us to participate in the conference alongside a producer who we felt represented their community in terms of progress toward better land management. Diego is a young producer with extraordinary knowledge and a lot of influence among producers in northern Patagonia, and we felt he was the ideal person to represent his community”, says Ezequiel about the proposal.
Diego belongs to the Namuncurá Mapuche Community in the province of Neuquén. In an incredible landscape overlooking the Lanín volcano, he and his family raise Merino sheep and Angora goats. “I found the invitation very interesting, to have the opportunity to show the world what we do here, how we deal with climate change, how we coexist with wildlife. Being able to exchange knowledge and experiences with producers from other places also seemed important to me.”
The present and future of regenerative and wildlife-friendly livestock production
The current situation of livestock production in Patagonia presents many challenges, and producers like Diego can make a difference in a system that urgently needs to be restructured in order to survive and thrive. “I left the farm to study and then work kept me away from my community for a few years. But I decided to return and commit to my land and my people. When I arrived, I saw that conditions in the fields had changed a lot. There was very little grass, very little rain, and in places where 2 or 3 meters of snow used to fall in winter, now only 20 centimeters fall. Added to this was the fact that fibers (wool and mohair) were being sold at a very low price that did not reflect all the work that goes into raising and caring for the animals. All this made me think that there were many things to change, and so we began”, he recalled.
The adoption of regenerative and wildlife friendly management methodologies enabled him to obtain Wildlife Friendly® international certification, endorsed by WCS Argentina, which boosted fiber sales, with prices reaching up to 20% above market prices. “The textile industry is valuing producers’ efforts to regenerate grasslands and coexist with wildlife. This is a critical moment for production systems, and change is urgently needed because without a healthy environment, none of these systems can survive”, said Infantino.
Textile Exchange’s conference in Lisbon covered many topics, such as new production systems, textile recycling, design innovations, cooperative schemes, traceability, among many others. As part of the “Producers Spotlight,” Diego gave a talk to attendees, highlighting his origins, his culture, and innovations in production management. “For us, the Mapuche people, nature is very important in our culture. The introduction of sheep in Patagonia brought many opportunities, but also many challenges. The guanaco, a fundamental sustenance for our people, a source of food and shelter, suddenly became competition for the sheep; and the puma, which is a sacred animal, became a threat due to its predation on livestock. That is why we began to look for tools and methodologies that would allow us to produce without having to eliminate native wildlife and without harming Ñuque Mapu (Mother Earth)”, explained Diego.
Anna Heaton, Animal Materials Lead at Textile Exchange, emphasized the importance of listening to the voices of those who work closest to the land. “Having producers like Diego in the room is vital. Their insight grounds our conversations in real-world realities, what change looks like on the land, and what barriers and opportunities exist to scale preferred production systems. It’s crucial that everyone across the supply chain understands these challenges and listens to the people living them every day. Diego and his community show what’s possible for wildlife and biodiversity when sustainability is rooted in local knowledge and care. His voice – and those of other producers – remind us what meaningful transformation truly depends on”, she said.
Regenerative and wildlife friendly management is not represented by a single recipe, but rather involves adapting management methodologies to environmental conditions, producers’ possibilities, and the potential for long-term viability.
“The introduction of livestock guardian dogs was the solution to the problem of predation, and to address the effects of drought and climate change, we began with regenerative management, which is based on grazing planning and recording everything that happens on the ground, analyzing the carrying capacity of the land and the regeneration potential of different areas. The results began to be seen a few years after we started management, which was initially driven by us, and then technicians from the Neuquén Undersecretary of Production and WCS Argentina joined in. Now we even have surplus grass, and that’s when I began to understand and value more what my elders, my grandparents, told me about the responsibility of caring for the Mapu”, Diego added.
The introduction of livestock guardian dogs allowed farmers to protect their livestock without the need for lethal control of wild carnivores. Credits: Darío Podestá (left) y Ezequiel Infantino – WCS Argentina (right).
Animal welfare was another topic addressed at the conference, highlighting not only the obvious benefits for livestock and the environment, since an animal with adequate welfare produces better and contributes to a healthy environment, but also the economic benefits for producers through the recognition of RWS (Responsible Wool Standard) and RMS (Responsible Mohair Standard) certifications. In this regard, Diego noted that “we also began to take note of improvements we could make related to livestock welfare, such as unhandled shearing, reducing stress on goats and sheep during all maneuvers, monitoring the animals’ body condition, and implementing health plans. We are confident that this type of management will allow us to obtain certification in a short time”.
Beyond time and borders, we are all one
One of the challenges Diego faces in his crusade to revalue farm work and extend these experiences to the rest of the community is the massive and constant exodus of young people from rural areas to cities. “Only older people are left in the fields; young people prefer to go to the cities to look for opportunities, which they often don’t find. Our duty is to make farm work interesting again for young people, so that they can make a good life for themselves there and don’t need to change location or culture in order to live with dignity. We have everything we need in the fields, and we must make the most of it”, he observed.
Diego gave a talk that had a big impact on the audience, who appreciated the opportunity to hear in person from a producer who had traveled so far to deliver his message of respect for nature. Credit: Textile Exchange.
After the conference, Diego and Ezequiel were invited to Yorkshire, U.K., to learn about the experience of H. Dawson and the Woolkeepers organization. Jo Dawson leads a wool fiber processing and product development company that is reviving this material, working with producers to improve economic and production conditions. Ezequiel comments that “we were struck by the low economic value given to wool in the United Kingdom, where most producers barely cover their production costs. Woolkeepers are trying to change that reality with great ideas and innovation, while developing management methodologies that improve pastures and the environment where sheep are raised. Climate change is affecting the entire planet, and the Yorkshire grasslands, which have always been wet places with very healthy pastures, are beginning to see a reduction in available water, making this type of management necessary and urgent”.
This trip had a special meaning for Diego, not only because he got to know other places, cultures, and people who have similar experiences in different parts of the world, but also because he got to see himself through the eyes of such diverse people. “It was very meaningful to see that we all face similar problems, and that the time to act is today, now. It was also very nice to receive the affection and recognition of people from South Africa, Australia, and Europe, who value what we do and are interested in our reality.”
And, closing his presentation, Diego remarked that “these new production methods have a lot to do with my culture, with my ancestors; we can see the connection, these are all ways of caring for the Mapu, which gives us the possibility to produce, to grow, and to be one with nature.”