My name is Darlene, and I’m a textile and fashion designer from New York City. As a designer, I became concerned with the destructive and wasteful nature of the fashion industry and wanted to research more eco-social ways of producing natural fibers in local communities. When I first started my journey, I naively thought it might be possible to identify a working model of a local supply chain and replicate it in other locations with only minor modifications. I wanted to explore this concept further with one natural fiber in one specific context.

I sought to explore local production in Italy, specifically, aroundnative Italian wool, asking the question, how do we produce locally and sustainably within a micro-region? I found and partnered with Pecore Attive, a project founded by Filippo Clemente on the Altamurgia in Puglia. His work is focused on the valorization of indigenous wool, which is often treated as a waste product from the meat and dairy industry. Filippo kindly invited me to Puglia in November of 2022 to work with him and spend time understanding the landscape and community of the Murgia Plateau. During my time there, I spoke with many local actors whose stories I share here. These conversations helped me understand the complex, “glocal” challenges involved in reviving local wool production in Puglia.

The Pecore Attive studio is located right in the center of Altamura, an industrial town one hour outside the city of Bari. The studio is a vital point of reference for the Apulian wool textile sector. Filippo is continually growing a local and international network, generating products, experiences, and events dedicated to the valorization of indigenous wool and the Altamurgia territory. With his passion for wool and enthusiasm for community, Filippo can ignite anyone’s interest in the subject.

My first day in Puglia was spent with Filippo traveling around the Murgia Plateau’s beautiful landscape and visiting many of the abandoned farms or My first day in Puglia was spent with Filippo traveling around the Murgia Plateau’s beautiful landscape and visiting many of the abandoned farms or “masserie,” and sheep pens called “jazzi,” which were once active, sheep farms providing for the territory.

Historically, these shelters housed grazing animals and were points that connected villages, sheep tracks, and mountain pastures. They are beautiful reminders of the past, yet today they possess a certain still, emptiness about them. You can sense as you wander, that these structures are no longer serving their purpose for man or animal. Metal shrapnel and other trash nearby, represent a clear disconnect between modern-day man and his/her land, between the terrain’s past and its present.

The Murgia is still home to small family farms that continue to raise sheep in the traditional way, even with sheep numbers decreasing over time. The practice of sheep farming is not only important for the local economy, but also for the preservation of the region’s cultural heritage, identity, and biodiversity. Dario from Masseria Fragennaro tells a bit about the phenomenon of there being fewer and fewer farms in the region.

Sheep farms in the area of the Murgia provide dairy and meat products. A by-product of farming is wool since its a necessity for sheep to be sheared once a year for their well-being. Unfortunately, wool is often a wasted resource that gets burned or thrown away instead of being collected and utilized, or transformed in other ways, due to lack of space or cost issues. I asked Dario for his perspective on the issue of this “special waste” found on the Murgia.

Through conversations like the one with Dario, I learned a lot about the many issues farmers face today. This is something we don’t typically learn while managing sweater production from our desks as designers. Shearing, for example, is a high cost for farmers, and there are not enough collection centers in Italy to collect the wool. Researchers and wool experts I had spoken with discussed certain problems which are relevant for all territories, not just Puglia. Many of these issues are valid for other parts of Europe as well. Elena Pagliarino is one such researcher from the National Research Council or CNR in Torino. Here, she discusses issues that are valid for all territories…?

Beyond the high price of shearing and the quality of the wool, another roadblock to solving the wool waste issue is the fact that there are not enough collection centers in Italy. Over the years, they ve closed due to manufacturing moving overseas. There is currently only one in Biella, a long way from Puglia. Nigel Thompson, founder and President of the Beilla Wool Company, spoke to me about this problem and what he thinks needs to be done to resolve it. He also explains why he thinks it is the most important step in the process of reviving Italian wool production.

In order to raise the value of wool, there needs to be care properly taken well before it is sheared. Farmers are not trained in this area and, more often than not, lack the know-how or time to guarantee the level of care needed. Nigel also discussed this reality with me during our call. In 2010, he, along with others, went to Puglia to train and involve farmers in their collection process. Although the project had initial success, after 3 or 4 years, funding was depleted, and the project ended. He admits that institutions should have been involved in the process for a better chance at success.

While talking to Dario from Masseria Fragennaro, he also mentioned these temporary collection efforts that were done in Puglia. He then elaborated on why some breeders may not be as passionate about their work as, for example, his father, Peppino, from whom he’s learned everything about the trade.

Beyond the high price of shearing and the quality of the wool, another roadblock to solving the wool waste issue is the fact that there are not enough collection centers in Italy. Over the years, they ve closed due to manufacturing moving overseas. There is currently only one in Biella, a long way from Puglia. Nigel Thompson, founder and President of the Beilla Wool Company, spoke to me about this problem and what he thinks needs to be done to resolve it. He also explains why he thinks it is the most important step in the process of reviving Italian wool production.

There are other positive initiatives worth mentioning, like recent startups that have begun to use wool as a raw material. Hackustica, for example, is a Puglia-based startup collecting wool from local farms and using it to develop architectural acoustic insulation. They began their journey in 2019 and are dedicated to creating an interdependent system connected to the environment and the community of a territory.? Here founder and project manager, Leonardo Lococciolo discusses their vision for the future of Hackustica.

Agrivello, founded by Chiara Spigarelli in Udine, is another positive initiative using wool waste as its raw material. Founded in 2021, Agrivello transforms this “special waste” into pellet fertilizer to enrich the soil with a zero-impact process that contributes to significant water and energy savings. They are able to utilize low-quality fleece that cannot be used in the industrial, textile, or construction sectors. Here Chiara talks about her vision for the company. The starting point is to provide a smart and sustainable solution to support the entire wool supply chain from shearing to processing.

Processing wool for textiles is a challenge in Puglia, but on my journey, I learned that it’s a challenge in all of Italy today, as well as other parts of Europe. While the problem starts with the wool collection, there are other roadblocks in the supply chain as well. After collection, wool needs to be washed (scoured) to remove grease, dust, dirt, and other contaminants. Italy has only 2 scouring facilities, located far from the Murgia in Biella and Prato. Elena shared her thoughts on this major roadblock.

Here, Dario, from Masseria Fragennaro touches on why it would be particularly difficult to add scouring facilities in Puglia. While there used to be many decades ago, climate change and water scarcity have made building a similar infrastructure problematic today.

Speaking with experts provided insight not only intothe local wool supply chain complications but also their link to bigger global issues like the rise of synthetics, globalization, the race for cheap labor, and fast fashion. Working in the industry for companies producing overseas, these issues have surrounded me, however, by exploring them on a national level and then within a micro-region, I could more clearly see how political, economic, and social choices linked to production have affected entire micro-communities on many levels. Francesca Gresia, Communications Manager of the Apulian sweater brand, Fortunale, touched on this larger global connection.

Marco Antonini, a wool expert, researcher for the ENEA, and President of the Arianne Consortium, elaborated further on the effects of globalization and the exportation of labor in our discussion. Reviving production requires a reconstruction of the whole system.

Besides the search for cheap labor overseas, the rise of synthetics has also been a major factor in the decline of the wool industry. Cristina from Lana al Pascolo discusses the role of synthetic fibers in the decline and other reasons why she thinks wool was abandoned in Italy years ago. She believes that there is a strong reappreciation for this fiber by the younger generation, which validates her passion for continuing to invest in local wool.

The cheap labor Marco speaks of that companies seek abroad, as well as factors like the low cost of synthetic fibers complicates production for brands that are trying to produce more sustainably and locally. Francesca from Fortunale speaks about this phenomenon and how a lack of understanding on the customer side and the dynamics of fast fashion play a part. She also mentions how she believes this trend can be reversed.

Bringing back local production after years of producing overseas not only calls for a change in mindset, it also calls for political, economic, and social interventions. Past attempts to do this bring to light bureaucratic issues around funding projects and gaining support. There are many opportunities for funding, but once the projects are over or public funding runs out, projects often die. Filippo from Pecore Attive explained this complicated process to me.

Elena also reflected on how the public funding process has not made enough impact in order to move initiatives forward. She goes on to explain how there’s a need for private funding to take over. After 20 years of research, she strongly believes that If there is no private entrepreneurial initiative, the situation will not change.

Almost everyone I had spoken with affirmed the importance of collaboration in moving initiatives forward. Without stakeholders working together, there won’t be a revival of a wool supply chain. Elena reiterates this by discussing the different contributions she believes are needed.

Beyond stakeholder collaboration, strong local communities are vital to provide support and build networks. Unfortunately, due to economic and systemic reasons, many youths in Puglia and other regions in the south are forced to leave home to find work elsewhere, shrinking this potential community. Annalisa, a high school teacher from Altamura, spoke with me about this phenomenon.

Lack of employment opportunities, educational, and infrastructural disparities are linked to a long and complicated history of inequality between the North and the South. During our talk, Rosa, a researcher, and professor at Politecnico di Bari, emphasized the depth of this barrier, which is still deeply felt throughout the South today. She stresses the importance of having an awareness of the value that belongs to their territory and culture.

Annalisa also elaborated on what she thinks needs to change in order to improve the current situation. There is a need for a less complicated bureaucracy and more guidance, which she eloquently expressed during our conversation.

Between young people leaving to find work elsewhere, an aging population, and the growth of e-commerce, particularly global corporations like Amazon, artisan skills are dying out, and their work has become less valued. Saverio, a local designer, and architect, spoke to me about this reality.

While artisan skills and competencies related to the textile sector are at risk of extinction, Saverio is someone who is working locally in Altamura to reverse this trend. His project, Staffetta Artigiana, has connected local artisans on the Murgia with youth, creating a beautiful intergenerational exchange of knowledge. This project is funded by the municipality and will soon open a physical space for community activities and events.

While it is important to preserve artisan skills and also valorize their work, the current market is saturated with native Italian wool products that are all very similar. There is a need for innovation in this area to ignite more interest.

The market also needs designers who are trained to use this material and its unique properties. Traditional techniques could be blended with innovative ideas in order to integrate contemporary design and bring the material and know-how into the future.

Vincenzo Netti is the founder of Essenze di Puglia, an Apulian farm involved in the production of grains, fruits, olive oil, and flax seed. He collaborates with an Apulian designer who uses his flax seed to produce linen fabric for her clothing line. While he doesn’t breed sheep, he is an active collaborator in the territory and spoke with me about the importance of territorial valorization and how innovative collaborations can bring about indirect benefits for stakeholders in the community.

I asked Vincenzo whether he is an optimist or a pessimist when it comes to climate change and our future. During our talk, he gave an honest answer which, for me, sums up our collective mindset in society and overall why initiatives move slower than they should.

The culture of consumerism and capitalism are part of our collective mindset. Saverio from Staffetta Artigiana reflected on how long he thinks it will take for a move from Capitalism to a more equitable system. He, like Vincenzo, believes change is coming, but it will be a long process, requiring courage and innovation to go beyond our current limitations.

The challenges presented in this story are not meant to discourage or undermine the beautiful realities that already exist in the Murgia. Despite the current limitations and barriers to reviving a local wool supply chain, there are initiatives that are doing amazing work to valorize and strengthen the local community and honor the rich culture found there. As Saverio points out, if you only look, you will see how much hope there is for the future.

Events and workshops like the ones Pecore Attive facilitates are valuable moments people share together. He held one of these community events on the 12th of May, during the seasonal sheep shearing of the Gentile di Puglia. All who attended ate together, learned about local native wool, watched the sheep shearing, and were able to view Filippo’s unique designs made from the local wool.

This event was an inspirational example of how a local resource such as wool can bring people together as well as help valorize a territory and its culture. It also shows how realities such as Pecore Attive and Staffetta Artigiana are tools through which we can imagine an alternative future where supply chains are more rooted in community and solidarity, a future where we value local resources, preserve biodiversity, and support sustainable livelihoods.