THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY

Agriculture is responsible for the collapse of biodiversity, yet no one takes responsibility

1 in 4 species are threatened with extinction because ecosystems are being destroyed by agriculture. 90% of the world’s animal species will lose some habitat to agriculture by 2050. Natural fibres are sold as commodities, meaning that damage at source goes unchecked, and rising demand is directly threatening natural habitats. Businesses are causing the sixth mass extinction on Earth. The extinction rate of species is 100 to 1000 times what it was before the industrial revolution. And most brands do not know where the fibres they use come from. We can’t ignore this situation. We need to rethink everything.

Restore balance™

We follow the APres model which prescribes that economic activity must maintain an ecological balance with ecosystems. For example, we follow the 10:20:40:30 guideline developed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). It says that to maximise the retention of native biodiversity in Australian agriculture landscapes, at least 30% of a farm should remain as natural habitat and at least 10% under core conservation (not grazed). If you sustain nature, nature sustains you. So we pay to restore balance with nature on farm and compensate farmers fairly to maintain it.

There is more. The planetary boundary for land-system change says that more than 50% of temperate forests should remain. So we support the Tasmanian Land Conservancy in their efforts to put vast swathes of Tasmanian wilderness under their protection for generations to come, pro rata of the land we use. Finally, we monitor biodiversity yearly to make sure everything is as it should be. Join us. Restore balance™.

Commodities support limitless growth thinking and allow businesses to avoid responsibility

What is a commodity? Stuff you buy as cheaply as possible without having to worry about how it’s made. Magic. If you don’t want to take responsibility for keeping nature in balance, it’s your perfect solution to limitless production. Cotton, sugar-cane, palm oil, wool, etc... all commodities. Problem? They are responsible for environmental damage and biodiversity loss. And natural fibres are no different. They are commodities, sold on the trade market. Their price fluctuates daily, and does not attract value for good sustainable practices. What does this mean? Farmers don’t know where the fibres they produce go and the ones focusing on the environment are at a disadvantage. It is a race to the bottom where only price matters. We don’t agree with this business model. It makes people disconnected from nature and hooks billions of people with unsustainable, cheap, raw materials.

Direct-source and take responsibility

This one is really simple. We could not follow the APres model and restore balance if we used commodities. There is no easy way around it. We have to work directly with raw material producers. For our unique superfine merino wool, we work with Julian and Annabel to help them maintain balance on their soul-inspiring farm. We started by asking how should things be. Then how to make it happen. We partnered with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy and brainstormed with ecologists.Then we had a cup of tea. Then we made awesome garments. You know, it’s about people. Let’s change the world.

Synthetics are an environmental disaster

A never-ending polluting cycle. Plastics are everywhere. More than a tonne enters the oceans every minute. Millions of marine animals are killed each year because of it. It is everywhere, from the bottom of the oceans to the pristine summits, in our food chain and in our lungs and blood. They release some 700,000 microfibres in every machine wash. There is mounting evidence they are toxic to life and responsible for reducing fertility. They are made with fossil fuels, the primary driver of climate change, and it is about time we regard them as a misguided use of a finite resource.

Recycled plastics are even weaker, responsible for more microplastic leaking into the environment. The United Nations are slowly moving toward a treaty to regulate them. Planet or Plastic? Buy natural where it makes sense. Leave the industrial revolution behind, step into the future.

Science is clear. We need to stop our addiction to plastics

Our society has lost control of novel entities (chemical pollution), which includes plastics and synthetics. Hence, the planetary boundaries model shows we are in the danger zone already. The APres model states that if there are no controls to prevent the bio-accumulation of chemicals in the environment, the chemicals should not be used. Makes sense, but it is super inconvenient for businesses, as chemicals (including plastics) are literally everywhere. We strive to only use natural, biodegradable fibres everywhere we can. Because 7 generations in the future, plastics will have caused so much harm. And for what? A zipper? An embroidered tag? 3 selfies with a piece of clothing that has no soul? Time to be freed from the transparent cage this society has placed around us. Choose natural and biodegradable where possible. Wool or plant based. The industrial revolution is for history books. Look to the future. Live life, restore balance™.

1. Take responsibility

First, a sustainable business must prioritise sustainability. Sustainability is what legitimises doing business. Not the other way around. Take responsibility. Go see, understand, and do what’s right. We’d rather close the business and go star-gazing on an island for the rest of our lives instead of causing environmental damage to make a profit.

2. Set limits

Second, a sustainable business knows and respects the limits of how much it can exploit from the Earth. It sets limits. It asks how much can be produced sustainably before asking how much it can sell (yes, it can be frustrating for some to live on a planet with limited resources. We prefer to take it slow and enjoy the ride at Wide Open World).

To support biodiversity, the right ratio of productive land and native habitat needs to be maintained in partnership with local conservation NGOs. And the same applies to support forests in the ecosystem.

And go indigenous with efforts to balance emissions with nature-based solutions. All of this limits output, yes, as it should be.

3. Don't pollute

Third, it must strive to avoid using toxic materials that pollute and bio-accumulate in the environment. It doesn’t discharge responsibility on the consumer or governments. If it makes the stuff, it is responsible for it. That plastic bottle, that plastic sneaker, that synthetic sweater (Nylon, polyester, acrylic, spandex, etc…), what’s our message to future generations? Consumers don’t decide how stuff is made. Businesses do.

And let your heart speak. You are not the only one on this planet. No one deserves to suffer the consequences of pollution. If you’ve lost touch. Don’t worry. Just reconnect.

4. Restore balance

Fourth, it embraces the notion that maintaining a balance with nature is the only way forward. Nature always wins in the end. So working against it is futile (and not very smart as sadly some of us on planet Earth are starting to find out).

Look. As Dale Carnegie rightly said, “most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” We will sort this out. Only harmony can be sustained long-term. We don't control the laws of nature. Accept them, embrace them, restore balance™.