The use of alpaca fibre for items such as clothing andblankets originated in South America, where the fantastic wool bearing animalswere bred from the wild Vicuna over thousands of years. Today, alpaca are bredin a number of countries throughout the world by both hobbyists and farmers,who are attracted by the beguiling nature and pasture friendly behaviour of theanimals. By far the largest population of the animals is still in Peru, where an estimated three million live. Compared to this, populations in the USA, Australia and the UK are very small; the majority of alpaca outside Peru live in Bolivia, Chile and Argentina.


Alpaca clothing is very comfortable, soft and warm, so thefibre is sought after for scarves, shawls and baby garments, leading to increasingpopulations of the animals in Europe, the USA and Australia. The exportation ofthe animals to different countries has been a concern for many Peruvian people.The CEPES (Peruvian Centre for Social Studies) estimates that around 65,000families in the rural Andean regions rely on the alpaca, for food, clothing andas a major source of income. The unique farming knowledge of these people hasbeen passed down for generations; they are experts in alpaca husbandry. Womenin the families will spin and weave the fibre into necessary items withincredible skill, either for their own families or to be sold for a profit. Thealpaca is so vital to the Peruvian economy that exportation of the animals wasbanned between 1931 and 1993, to prevent the very best animals being removedfrom breeding herds and to maintain the livelihoods of traditional alpacaherders. After 1993 the Peruvian government allowed some exportation to occuronce again, though this was limited in 1996 to prevent numbers being overlydepleted. It is considered very important to keep some of the very best qualityanimals in their native lands; other countries purchasing the very best animalscould eventually pose a threat to the traditional alpaca industry.


Luckily, there are numerous suppliers of alpaca clothing inthe UK who understand how important it is to support the economy of countriessuch as Peru. It is possible to buy alpaca clothing and home ware which hasbeen made from the fleece of a true Andean animal, and woven by those with a skillpassed down through the generations. Most consumers who are interested indiscovering the luxuriant feel and sumptuous softness of alpaca fibre wantauthentic, traditional products. When searching for UK retailers of alpacaclothing it is important to see how their items are produced. Those who operatea fair trade kind of agreement with their Andean suppliers should be firstchoice. By treating suppliers fairly, they are helping to maintain families andto preserve a traditional way of life. You can enjoy your very own alpacaclothing items all the more knowing those who made them are getting a fairdeal, and that techniques used in their manufacture are performed by those mostskilled with the fibre - the people of the Andes region.


About the Author


It wasduring her last employment working for a small international trading companyimporting cashmere from Nepal where she developed her interest in luxuryfabrics and traditional craftsmanship. We sell a range of alpaca clothing andgoods. Please visit our website at &sec=article&uinfo=<%=server.URLEncode(2103)%>"target="_blank">http://www.samanthaholmes.com