‘Regenerative’ fibres that give back to nature
26/03/2019
FarFarm was founded three years ago. It uses agroforestry, a land management system that involves the deliberate planting of multiple species of plants or trees. The idea is to mimic nature and encourage compatible species to share resources such as water. Among the benefits of this system are lower use of resources, increased soil fertility, greater biodiversity and increased carbon sequestration.
The company currently operates three pilot farms in Brazil, where a range of species have been planted. This includes natural fibres like cotton and jute, as well as food like oranges and bananas. There are also plants that can be used as natural dye stuffs.
There is a strong social element to the project, with the farms providing employment for local people, especially women. The land on which the farms are built belongs to the local community. FarFarm provides all the investment to get it up and running, and then splits the revenue generated with the farmers. FarFarm takes the fibres, while the farmers are able to keep and sell the fruit grown and the wood.
The company is currently occupying space in the co-working area at the Fashion For Good initiative’s headquarters in Amsterdam. Co-founder Beto Bina told WSA that the main motivation behind launching this project is that consumption is far outpacing the efficiencies that are being gained from sustainability improvements. This is the case across many industries, but it is definitely the case in the fashion sector.
The three farms FarFarm currently operates are very small, only around one hectare each. It has deliberately kept the operation small at this stage in order to ensure the business model it builds can be scaled up effectively.
Its ultimate aim is to become a manufacturer and seller of sustainable fabrics made from these “regenerative” fibres, Mr Bina has said. It is already working with a number of manufacturers, which are testing small batches of fabrics. The initial target market will be the fashion sector, although it also sees opportunities in home textiles.
Discussing FarFarm’s involvement in the Fashion For Good ‘plug and play’ accelerator programme (it is part of the latest intake), Mr Bina said it gives the company access to knowledge about how to scale a business. It has also allowed it to connect with corporate partners to find out more about what they need, while interactions with other start-ups have helped it to get advice on some of the challenges it faces.
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