Alpaca fiber is the hair gathered from alpacas, a species of In 2024, the global market share of RAS-certified alpaca fiber South American camelid native to Peru. Global alpaca fiber was 7% (439 tonnes). This is up from 5% (316 tonnes) in 2023. production was estimated to be 6,200 tonnes in 2024, of In Peru, where all RAS-certified alpaca fiber was produced in 2024, 10% of the country's total alpaca fiber production was which 72% (4,452 tonnes) came from Peru. RAS-certified. Most of the certified fiber is already committed to specific supply chains, and it will take time to increase the micron range. Today, most alpacas still reside in the highlands of Peru, at altitudes ranging from 11,000 to 16,000 feet (3,500 to 5,000 meters). About 4 million alpacas live in Peru, with a small percentage in other countries like Bolivia, Australia, the ranging husbandry systems, with animals adapted to their United Kingdom, and the United States. The vast majority (95%) belong to the Huacaya breed, with the remaining 5% covering farm-level animal welfare practices, land management, and social welfare. Chain of custody certification knitwear production. The current supply chain is centralized in Peru, where around 90% of the processing is handled by two main suppliers with vertically integrated operations. and tracked. The RAS is part of the Responsible Animal Fiber Additionally, several smaller producer groups operate (RAF) framework, along with the RWS and RMS.3 smallholder farmers who typically own around 45 animals. Currently, alpaca fiber is collected and sold by middlemen before being processed by the two large processors.2 The Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS), launched in April 2021, is a voluntary global standard that addresses the welfare of alpacas, the land they graze on, and social welfare at the 1 IWTO, 2024. Market Information. Edition 19. 2024 data v MatterSystem, scheduled to take effect in 2026. You can learn more here.