Abstract ID: 3.12987 | Not reviewed | Requested as: Talk | TBA | TBA

What is done in France and in the French Alpes to add value to the wool? Currently, 90% of French wool is either exported, mainly to Asia, or treated as waste. Only 5% is valorised in France, here and there, through fabulous however very small-scale initiatives. In this presentation we will focus on a group of farmers and their Arles Merino sheep in the South East quarter of the French Alpes. Since 2012, with the help of Marie-Thérèse Chaupin, Atelier laines d’Europe, and Nigel Thompson, the Consortio Biella Wool Company, they have created a brand with high added value: Mérilainos. With an eco-anthropological approach, observing the evolution of their agricultural practices, we will present the weaving of this special collective wool, deeply embedded in the Merino landscapes. The contrast with the French government approach will also be presented in a socio-technical perspective. Started in 2019 the national initiative « Collectif Tricolor » entends to (re)organize the French wool sector, first starting with ignoring the diversity of sheep races: about fifty, and second, dreaming of a national industry. Is there a chance that the French government ambitions finally meet small scale initiatives? We can make the hypothesis that the revival already at work in spinning (in the Alps, Pyrenean and Massif central but also in Britain), in “ecological craftwork” (engagement with material) and in farmer’s union might be inspiring and represent key actors.