For at least the past thirty years, we've seen the word natural on the labels of foods, cosmetics, and other household items such as textiles and yarns.  Advertisers favor it because it appeals to our emotions--it makes us feel clean, safe, and protected from unnatural agents, which we identify with toxic man-made substances.  On a subconscious level it evokes images such as pristine mountain waterfalls, freshly bathed infants, and undisturbed woodland scenes.  The problem with the word is that it is evocative rather than factual.  It really doesn't tell us how something was made.

Cotton, linen, bamboo and rayon are all natural fibers in the sense that they are manufactured from plant materials, as opposed to synthetic fibers such as polyester.  We're all familiar with cotton and flax plants as a fiber source; fewer people may be aware that rayon (often known as viscose) is derived from cellulose taken from trees.  Marketers promote these fibers as not only natural, but also renewable, which is a newer advertising buzzword.  That word implies that we're not depleting any resources by growing and harvesting the fiber.  Unlike crude oil (from which we get nylon and polyester), which is gone once we use it, trees or other plants can be grown over and over on the same land to be harvested for fiber.  However, how we treat that land -- and its watershed --  in the growing phase, and the manufacturing processes used to turn the raw fiber into yarn, should figure in to whether or not we call the finished product natural or renewable..
 
Both cotton and flax, if not grown organically, require large amounts of herbicides, pesticides, and insecticides (although flax culture is less chemically-intensive than cotton). Cotton growers use some of the most dangerous chemicals on the market--including broad spectrum organophosphates, which were originally developed in World War II as toxic nerve agents.  In fact, cotton growers use more than 10% of the pesticides and almost 25% of the insectides applied worldwide per year.*  In addition, cotton is considered one of the "thirstiest" crops, and its irrigation stresses dwindling water supplies in many regions.  The entire ecosystem of the Aral Sea in central Asia has been destroyed by irrigation and pesticide runoff, due in large part to the cultivation of cotton.**  In the case of rayon, trees may or may not be grown in sustainably-managed forests, and it is usually difficult to find out where the fiber originated.
 
Furthermore, unless these fibers are processed into yarn according to organic standards such as those established by the Global Organic Textiles Standards (GOTS), the manufacturing and dyeing phase adds another layer of chemical use into the environment and its watersheds. For instance, cotton and linen milling involves the use of synthetic dyes, bleaches, and other chemical agents. Rayon (as well as non-organically produced bamboo) requires the use of carbon disulfide, a toxic chemical solvent, in its manufacture. 
 
National Geographic's online Green Guide has this to say about cellulose-based fibers:
 
Rayon, Tencel and acetate are made out of cellulose, most often from softwood trees like beech, though tropical hardwoods and even cotton fiber are used as well. These materials may begin as biomass, but the end result is a synthetic too processed for the term "organic" to be relevant. In terms of their environmental impact, according to Co-op America's WoodWise guide, "about a third of the pulp obtained from a tree will end up in finished rayon thread," and the rest is discarded. Extracting the fiber also requires a lot of water, and powerful chemicals like sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide to break the tough cellulose cell structure.

Tencel (the trade name for lyocell), the newest of these cellulose materials, was developed by one of the world's largest manufacturers of rayon, Courtauld Fibers, who have since sold the business to Lenzing. The company presents Tencel as environmentally friendly, and, indeed, the process of making Tencel requires less water and does use biodegradable solvents. The material itself has been demonstrated to biodegrade as well. It should be noted, however, that in 1995 the EPA rated Courtauld the sixth-largest producer of inorganic pollution in the U.S. for its releases of "industrial inorganic chemicals" and "cellulostic manmade fibers" from its Tencel- and rayon-manufacturing plants in Alabama. Lenzing currently claims their trees are harvested from managed forests, even though they've yet to seek Forest Stewardship Council certification.***

Obviously, at present it's almost impossible to live an entirely "green" existence.  Most things we are used to buying without a second thought cause some damage in some way.  People struggling to be absolute purists have a difficult time finding products they can use, and sometimes are not very much fun to be around. But it is important to try to get the facts about where our food, clothing, and shelter-related products come from, and start introducing changes into our lives in manageable increments. According to polls, a large percentage of Americans say they care about the environment. Advertisers label products as natural and renewable because they know the importance of those concepts to the American consumer.  It's good that we care, but let's not be misled by buzz-words.
 
*see http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/cm/management/2003/flax/, section entitled "Planting and Protection," paragraph 4, on pesticide use in flax farming; http://www.panna.org/files/conventionalCotton.dv.html, on the effects of chemicals used in cotton growing on the environment.
**see http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/freshwater/problems/thirsty_crops/cotton/index.cfm, paragraph entitled "River Basin Impacts."
***see http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/105/fiber.

In my last blog I explained my ethical reservations about carrying sheeps' wool on the Paloma Textiles site.  I've continued to search for reliably humane wool to carry here, but so far have not come up with a wholesale supplier.  I did, however, read an article in the Wall Street Journal about a woman named Susan Gibbs who runs a humane sheep and goat farm in Martha's Vineyard called The Fiber Farm.  Susan sells shares in her yearly harvests. 

For $100, you can buy 1% of her spring or fall shearing delivered as yarn or spinning fiber.   She shears her sheep in the spring, and her goats in the fall.  Right now you can sign up for shares of Mohair or Kid Mohair from the fall shearing at http://www.marthasvineyardfiberfarm.com/.  Susan also sells yarn from previous shearings on her website.

Here's what Susan has to say about her farm:

Our farm practices humane animal husbandry, we are "predator friendly" and none of our animals are ever sold for meat. Our sheep and goats graze on organic pasture 9 months out of the year. We supplement with quality hay and a custom-made whole grain ration. 

Judging from the photos on Susan's site, her sheep look extremely pampered and her yarn is stunning.  Enjoy!

You may notice that this website does not yet carry any wool products. That is because I have not yet found a wholesale wool supplier that can guarantee that their yarn comes from sheep who have been well treated "from cradle to grave."

Many people think that wool is a humane product since the sheep are not killed in order that their wool be harvested. But they do not consider what becomes of most sheep at the end of their lives.

Many sheep raised on commercial farms are auctioned off when they pass middle age and their wool production begins to diminish. They are sold to leather producers and buyers of waste meat.  Many end up in stockyards as "downed animals."

Recently the Humane Society of the United States publicized the results of an undercover investigation into animal cruelty at the Hallmark Meat Packing Company in Chino, California (see one article at http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212127958.shtml). The documented cruelty in this case involved downed cows. However, sheep and other farm animals often suffer the same fate.

I have spoken to animal activists who maintain that there is no such thing as humane wool.  However, I am sure there are small farmers who raise wool and lovingly tend their sheep.  I am still looking for sources for humane wool.  Anyone with information is welcome to contact me.