5. Colourful Adéle’ s Mohair yarn on display at the conference. The products show how mohair unlocks value in hand knitting, small-scale manufacturing and design. 6. Cape Mohair products on display at the conference. The display highlighted the fibre’ s practical value, warmth and versatility.
Sustainability with a difficult question
The conversation around mohair and sustainability is complex. Coetzee referred to lifecycle assessments commissioned by the industry to better understand its environmental impact. The first study, conducted by Integrity Ag, included 40 producers, two processors and two spinners. A second study by SPIN360 was carried out on a smaller scale and included five producers, two processors and two spinners.
The studies highlighted methane emissions and land use as the biggest impact indicators. However, speakers warned that natural fibres cannot simply be measured against synthetic fibres without considering the full picture.