Social life-cycle assessment of vicugna fiber production in the province of Jujuy, Argentina. Preliminary selection of indicators.

Natural fibers from camelids (Camelidae) have been highly valued since ancient times. The Andean native people of the Altiplano region, have been using wild vicunas (Vicugna vicugna) for centuries to obtain fiber and food.... [ view full abstract ]

Natural fibers from camelids (Camelidae) have been highly valued since ancient times. The Andean native people of the Altiplano region, have been using wild vicunas (Vicugna vicugna) for centuries to obtain fiber and food. With the arrival of the conquerors, the indiscriminate hunting of this animal followed a supply and demand scheme to provide the European market with this product. This procedure has been maintained over time, up to the point that during the 1960’s, the vicuna was in great risk of extinction. In recent years, after decades of strict conservation procedures, populations of wild vicunas have recovered, and given that vicuna fiber continues to be one of the world's most expensive animal fibers, its commercial exploitation has taken on global significance.
The presented case study is the Santa Catalina Cooperative - VICAM (Interdisciplinary research group on vicuna and camelids-CONICET Argentina) joint project for vicuna conservation and management. The productive chain of the vicuna fiber for garments begins with the inhabitants of the Altiplano at a rural stage. Their role consist in shearing wild animals using a pre-Hispanic technique called Chaku, implemented by VICAM. The recovery of this traditional practice in the region, improved with modern animal welfare protocols, has allowed the sustainable management of the resource to produce legal fiber (with a certification of origin). Shorn live vicunas are proof of this scheme of sustainable management. From the life cycle perspective, environmental, economic and social impacts determine the sustainability of the production process.