About us
We are four women who promote respect for the environment, the protection of native fauna, good livestock and animal care practices, fair trade and the promotion of ancestral traditions and techniques from the heart of “Carretera Austral” in Chilean Patagonia.
OUR COMMITMENT
Most of the wool produced in the Aysén Region is mixed with the rest of the wool in Chile and exported, losing the identity of its place of origin.
That is why we are commited to rescuing the wool produced in the Region and avoid the loss of its traceability with the aim of redefining its dignity.
PRODUCTION PROCESS AND TRACEABILITY
Our production process is aimed at ensuring that livestock production practices developed in the Aysén Region are improved, to achieve a better coexistence with the environment, paying special attention to all of the processes involved to achieve our final product: the ball of wool.
We participate in the entire production process, from the classification and selection of the wool sheared by farmers, through the supervision of both industrial and manual washing and spinning, the final washing of the wool that we perform manually, finalized in the winding and labeling. In addition, we highlight the importance of each part of the production chain promoting fair trade.
Through this process, we get to know and maintain the traceability of the wool we produce and identify all of those involved in the production chain.
WILDLIFE FRIENDLY CERTIFICATION
We actively participate in the certification of selected fields, promoting animal care and welfare, decreasing soil erosion, care for grasslands through limited animal use and we are against the slaughter of native predators through work with grazing dogs.
Wildlife Friendly principles:
- Wildlife Conservation.
- Economic well-being, fostering economic and social opportunities in rural communities.
- Accountability, promoting best conservation practices and robust monitoring efforts.
SPINNERS FROM THE END OF THE WORLD AND RURAL TRADITION
Another of our fundamentals is an intangible heritage rescue: the ancient trade of spinning and shearing. The hands of women from towns such as Guadal, Mallín Grande or Rio Backer, on the southern shore of General Carrera Lake, are responsible for keeping this knowledge alive; the same skill inherited across four generations from the first settlers who populated the Aysén Region. We generate direct support for this small economy of the rural family and work with artisans who perform manual spinning.
Industrial spinning
Most of our production is carried out industrially by spinning mills that belong to family companies, and produce different types of spinning.
Manual spinning
Manual spinning is an artisanal process carried out by spinners in the Region, in their homes as part of their household chores like caring for their orchards and childcare. The volume of wool produced is therefore lower than in an industrial setting, but has the value of being an ancestral trade that we want to encourage and promote.
OUR LABELS
Each curled ball of wool has a series of labels produced on recyclable paper with PEFC forest certification.
The first label contains the Friendly Wool logo, the technical description of the wool and the spirit of the brand.
The second label shows the principles of Wildlife Friendly certification
The third set of labels is made up of a small paper and a fabric label, which contains the certification mark. The purpose of the fabric label is to be able to sew it onto finished garments in order to demonstrate that this garment was made with certified wool.
