| Description |
The current global textile industry operates within a framework of capitalism and anthropocentrism that prioritizes financial growth and profit while externalizing ecological and social costs, resulting in an overuse of finite environmental and labor systems that is economically, ecologically, and socially unsustainable. This qualitative study uses an ecocentrist lens to critically examine the structural and ecological unsustainability of the dominant textile system and to identify pathways for developing local regenerative textile economies. Focusing on Utah's wool textile economy, this research investigates how or whether local stakeholders align their practice with regenerative agriculture principles; what values underlie their perspectives and how these may align with ecocentrist principles; and what policy, market, and consumer awareness changes are needed to strengthen the local wool textile industry. Through semi-structured interviews with expert practitioners, the study identifies challenges to re/connecting a local textile production system, including infrastructure loss, labor shortages, and uneven policy landscapes; while also identifying opportunities to develop thriving local textile systems through holistic approaches that prioritize community building, narrative change, and integrated solutions. The findings support a shift toward localized, regenerative textile economies that center ecological and community well-being. This work contributes to the broader goals of climate and social resilience by bridging gaps in research and practice at the intersection of regenerative agriculture, sustainable textiles, and local economics. |
