Yak fibre project can help remote communities in Bhutan
London-based social business House of Tengri, which specialises in producing fabrics and garments from natural fibres, and the government of Bhutan have announced an agreement to foster a long-term viable yak fibre industry in the Himalayan kingdom.
Founder of House of Tengri, Nancy Johnston, said the project would help create vibrant and sustainable mountain communities, improve people’s living conditions and preserve remote landscapes.
She added: “The introduction of yak fibres as a circular and regenerative textile in sustainable luxury fashion helps to re-balance and regenerate the land and communities. There is no word to describe the relationship between indigenous people and the land. Preservation of their way of life and wisdom is key to supporting biodiversity.”
Bhutan’s government has (very precisely) calculated the country’s yak herd to be 38,642, owned by almost 900 households. But it said traditional yak farming practices are in decline. It welcomed the prospect of entrepreneurial development of the yak fibre industry.
