Credit: Peregrine
Peregrine Clothing sets out plan to work with UK farmers to ensure all of its wool comes from regenerative farms by 2026
UK knitwear brand Peregrine Clothing has set its sights on using 100 per cent "regeneratively-sourced" British wool within the next five years, in a bid to support agricultural techniques that can help to restore landscapes, soil, habitats and natural carbon stores.
The company, which boasts a heritage stretching back 220 years, announced last week that it has teamed up with Pasture for Life, a UK-based certification body for regenerative farmers focused on 100 per cent pasture-fed livestock.
The partnership is designed to support Peregrine's fresh commitment to shift its supply chain towards 100 per cent regeneratively-sourced wool by 2026, through which it plans to work exclusively with British farms.
At present, 20 per cent of Peregrine's British wool collection derives from a "transitional" regenerative farm on the south coast in Rye, East Sussex, where it plans to increase its volume by 20 per cent year-on-year through to 2026.
It has also teamed up with Soil Mentor, an app that allows farmers to benchmark and access guidance for improving soil health on their farms, to further support its suppliers towards regenerative agricultural practices.
"The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and we are supporting farmers working to turn this story around," said Peregrine's managing director Tom Glover. "Through our work with Pasture for Life and Soil Mentor, we are able to make a difference at farm level and help drive the national movement towards more nature-friendly farming practices."
The firm - which manufactures its woollen products in Manchester for sale at 80 retailers across the UK, as well as in Germany, Iceland, Canada and the USA - said it specifically aimed to support restoration of landscapes, soil and habitats in the UK by supporting domestic farmers. In doing so, it said it would also mitigate against additional emissions associated with importing its wool from abroad.
Jimmy Woodrow, executive director at Pasture for Life, said that with regenerative farming still in its infancy in the UK, such practices needed to be affordable and farmer-centred in order to scale nationally.
"Well managed pasture and grasslands are rich ecosystems that teem with life; grazing them with animals is vital in maintaining and regenerating biodiversity, soil health and carbon storage," he said. "Today, such practices are sadly in a minority and need more public support. Feeding livestock on pasture all year round is not easy and many farmers turn to grains, cereals and other foods to bulk their diet; this leads to all kinds of unnecessary impacts that are damaging to the environment and the climate. But it can be done. We're supporting farmers to make the transition to 100 per cent pasture-fed and it's fantastic to be working with Peregrine to raise the profile of regenerative farming through the Pasture for Life certification."
