Alpaca fibre has always been part of a long and unfair supply chain. Underprivileged small-scale farmers in the rural Andes, some of whom live in extremely remote areas, sell their alpaca fibre at informal markets in nearby small towns to local middlemen. These middlemen then resell to large distributors who supply to textile companies. This unfair supply network ultimately takes a toll on how much the herders can make, and how they benefit from an imperfect market system.

Over the past twenty years, PACOMARCA has been conducting Peru's most sophisticated and comprehensive program on the genetic improvement of alpacas. The PACOMARCA ranch maintains approximately two thousand selected alpacas of different types and colours. It holds the world's widest and most complete database on alpaca, which is managed through a specially designed program. They also run a dedicated traceability program and collaborate with the agrarian University of la Molina, leading in veterinary sciences in Peru.

As a consequence of the relationship with certain communities and different alpaca producers, PACOMARCA produces a limited quantity of fibre each year with special characteristics, unique in the market and which is 100% traceable.

The “Sustainable Alpaca Network” program, through its brand PACOMARCA, connects people and companies with customers, who appreciate and value the extraordinary qualities of this animal and are aware of the threats to alpaca's survival and many needs of the peasant families that have been breeding these animals for thousands of years.

The earnings obtained from the sale of PACOMARCA products are used to improve the animal’s genetics to produce finer fibre and, thus, increase the earnings of peasant families. It is also used for technical training of breeders and humanitarian assistance for communities in the form of housing, education, and clothing.

Image by Kasjan Farbisz (Pixabay)