Regenerative agriculture and fashion offer a climate solution by producing fully recyclable natural fibers sustainably managed on farms

Susana

<h2>The textile industry and the environment</h2>
Approximately two-thirds of all textiles today are synthetic, primarily made of petroleum-based organic polymers like polyester, polyamide, and acrylic. These fibres are released into the environment during manufacturing, laundering, and disposal, with a staggering 85% of textiles ending up in landfills or being incinerated rather than reused. Unlike natural fabrics that can biodegrade quickly and easily in healthy soil, plastics resist degradation for decades or even centuries.&nbsp;
This environmental issue is compounded by the pollution created by the textile industry at every stage of production. According to a report by the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, textile production is responsible for greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1.2 billion metric tons per year, or roughly 5% of all emissions, comparable to the entire output of Russia.&nbsp;
Two-thirds of environmental impact takes place at the very beginning of the supply chain at the raw material level. If we want to be efficient in reducing our environmental impact, we have to act on that.&nbsp;
<h2>Regenerative agriculture</h2>
The easiest way to understand regenerative agriculture is to first picture what you think of as a &ldquo;typical farm&rdquo;: hundreds of acres of a single crop, like corn or cotton. It probably looks normal to your eye, though not entirely natural &mdash; because it isn&rsquo;t. 
Most of those farms use pesticides and other conventional methods, like deep tilling. A regenerative farm is the complete inverse of that: imagine acre upon acre of various crops, many of them strategically planted to help each other grow and flourish. On a cotton farm, there might be rows of snap peas planted as &ldquo;cover crops&rdquo; to shade the soil so it stays cool, absorbs more water, and thus grows more microbiomes. Regenerative farms also implement &ldquo;pollinator strips&rdquo; of crops that attract bees and butterflies to the area, or they&rsquo;ll add &ldquo;trap crops&rdquo; to divert pests from their hero crops in lieu of chemical pesticides. It&rsquo;s really mimicking what nature does already,&nbsp;
<h2>The way forward: regenerative fashion?</h2>
Regenerative fashion aims to address the environmental problems associated with the textile industry by producing organic, fully recyclable natural fibres like banana, lotus, corn, wool, alpaca, flax, and hemp sustainably managed on farms. Natural dye plants like indigo and madder can also be grown. Structures can be created to harvest, clean, mill, and manufacture these materials in the same region, creating income and employment opportunities for the local economy. Such structures existed across the world until chemical pesticides and fertilizers were only introduced by corporations like Bayer and Monsanto.&nbsp;
Once textile manufacturing plants are designed to have a neutral or reduced carbon footprint and prioritize environmental health, the entire system can be considered regenerative. The clothing produced can be considered "climate beneficial" and supportive of local economies, with the potential to increase biodiversity above and below the soil surface, improve water holding capacity,&nbsp; and sequester carbon at greater depths, mitigating the harmful effects of atmospheric CO2.&nbsp;
Other than that, regenerative fashion has a host of benefits for the local community. By educating local families on agroforestry systems and giving them the option and opportunities to produce and sell their fiber production, it creates strong livelihoods, resilient and ready for the future. It allows for the further regeneration of deserted monoculture land with textile farming using agroforestry systems to improve the land and livelihood of local people. Thus, it connects the supply chain.
<h2>Final thoughts</h2>
The success of the project could not only improve the ecosystem, livelihood, and economic value,&nbsp; but it will also demonstrate the importance of agroforestry for textile companies, which creates more companies that follow the method of regenerative agroforestry systems. Also, by making the process more transparent it will raise awareness among the local communities and consumers which can increase consumer demand for these products.&nbsp;&nbsp;
By increasing consumer demand for regenerative fashion clothing, regenerative fashion forces more business industries to follow the organic method of textile production, ultimately benefiting the whole ecosystem.&nbsp;
To embark on these regenerative practices, we must focus our attention on long-term people planet-profit goals over short-term profit only.&nbsp;
illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Sustainability &amp; Energy writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.

Regenerative fashion: building life-affirming supply ecosystems 

We are often unaware of the chemicals in personal care products, and many of us have used them without knowing any better. The truth is that not all ingredients are clean, and some can actually poison our bodies, speed up the aging process, and cause irreparable damage. These toxic products try to imitate Nature's gifts with inferior, synthetic, and potentially toxic substances that are masquerading as ‘natural’, ‘pure’, and ‘safe’, but that's nothing but greenwashing.

We are often unaware of the chemicals in personal care products, and many of us have used them without knowing any better. The truth is that not all ingredients are clean, and some can actually poison our bodies, speed up the aging process, and cause irreparable damage. These toxic products try to imitate Nature&#x27;s gifts with inferior, synthetic, and potentially toxic substances that are masquerading as ‘natural’, ‘pure’, and ‘safe’, but that&#x27;s nothing but greenwashing.
It is crucial that we learn about the detrimental and dangerous consequences of toxins in the products we use every day so that we can make more informed decisions about what we should and shouldn’t be applying to our skin.
There are chemicals and contaminants associated with cancer found in food, water, and many other commonplace items. However, cosmetics and other personal care products probably have the least amount of government oversight out of any consumer product. 595 cosmetics manufacturers in the US have reported using 88 cancer-linked, birth defect-linked, or reproductive harm-linked chemicals in more than 73,000 products since 2009.
Many of these chemicals should be banned from cosmetics, as proposed in AB 495, the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act. Some of the most dangerous, carcinogens, hormonal and nervous system disruptors:
● Formaldehyde
● Mercury
● Lead
● Asbestos
● Isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, butylparaben, and propylparaben.
● Toluene.
● Triclosan
● Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
● Talc powder
Many of these products are applied directly to the skin, and 60% of them, directly be absorbed into the bloodstream. Some of these chemicals are dangerous even in low doses. They can interfere with the hormone system and disrupt normal development. Studies have shown that “endocrine-disrupting” chemicals, such as parabens and phthalates, may be the most harmful during prenatal and early postnatal development.
72% of products with artificial fragrances contain endocrine disruptors. These added scents and fragrances give us the misleading impression of being more effective &amp; healthier, which is exactly what the manufacturers want you to think. The truth is very different though, as fragrances and chemical scents are highly toxic, and linked to a staggering number of health risks.
Across multiple research studies, chemicals used to make fragrances are classified as allergens, hormone disruptors, asthma triggers, neurotoxins &amp; carcinogens.
Air-freshener-like spray deodorants and perfumes contain synthetic fragrances that are made up of hundreds of chemicals, many of which can be very harmful to the health of not only the person who is ‘wearing’ them but all those breathing the air around them, too.
Despite the alarming evidence, none of the large, mainstream cosmetics companies have pledged to remove carcinogens, parabens, or other poisonous contaminants from their products. They continue to use the same polluting technologies and dangerous formulas created decades ago.
These toxic poisons are very hard to avoid because manufacturers are not required to list them on ingredient labels
<h1>Our health, our responsibility</h1>
Be cautious of the ambiguous and inaccurate marketing terms on product packaging. ‘Natural’ might cause us to believe that a beauty product is clean and consequently healthy, but because label terms are not properly regulated, marketers are free to manipulate the packaging and convince consumers otherwise.
Beware of brands that claim to be ‘natural’, ‘pure’, ‘organic’, and ‘synthetic-free’ as they may still contain harmful chemicals. These companies use strategies to lure us into a false sense of security, so it is important to be mindful of them.
It’s important to do more than just read labels, you also have to consider which companies you can trust. We are complicit while we buy and use products that destroy our &quot;natural capital&quot; We must look for companies standing up for human and planetary health. In today&#x27;s world, businesses need to become agents of change and take action to create a positive impact, environmental and biodiversity restoration, fair pay, high-quality clean ingredients, and become a force for good. We must support life-affirming brands that strive to not only sustain but regenerate resources that connect, unite and restore the whole ecological system, for the benefit of all forms of life. Products using commercial viability to deliver broader goals: human and ecological wellbeing.
New laws need to be in place, that hold the beauty industry accountable for the raw ingredients they use. As clearly our governments and corporates do not protect our interests, our well-being, or our health, it is a matter of personal responsibility to stay well-informed and minimize the use of toxins (air, food, drinks, pharma, cosmetics, personal care, and house cleaning products), to reclaim the full spectrum of our health.
If we cannot protect Nature, we cannot protect ourselves.
Illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Sustainability &amp; Energy writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.

You can’t miss it!

Susana Gago

Susana Gago

Regenerative fashion: building life-affirming supply ecosystems

The Dark Side Of The Beauty Industry: Toxic Chemicals In Your Favorite Products

Recent publications

Readers also like

Want to know more about illuminem Voices?