Events
Briefing
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Sustainable Fibers vs. Fast Fashion: Opportunities to Reshore the U.S. Fiber System
August 16, 2023 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am PDT
Hosted by SAFSF and The Honorable Chellie Pingree for members of Congress and their staffers
Today, nearly two-thirds of all the fibers we wear and use are made from oil. The fashion industry is now responsible for more carbon emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
Over the past several decades, hundreds of thousands of fiber and textile jobs that once sustained communities across America have shifted overseas and harmed American farmers and ranchers in the process. This same period has seen a significant increase in textile waste, as clothes, many never worn, make their way to landfills. Rebuilding and revitalizing U.S. sustainable fiber production and processing, known as “reshoring,” are key to reversing these trends.
On Wednesday, August 16th, please join the offices of the Sustainable Energy and Environment (SEEC) Climate and Agriculture Task Force Co-Chair Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1) for a briefing on the challenges facing the U.S. sustainable fiber and textile system and policy opportunities to address them. Participants include the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders (SAFSF) and industry leaders. Speakers will discuss why fibers should be recognized as part of the U.S. agriculture system, and how U.S.-based sustainable fibers producers and processors can become key partners in reducing textile waste.
Speakers:
- The Honorable Chellie Pingree
- Shannon Welsh and Angela Wartes-Kahl, Fibrevolution (Oregon)
- Eric Henry, TS Designs (North Carolina)
- Rachel Higgins and Leslie Davidson, Pennsylvania Fibershed
- Jim Kleinschmit, Other Half Processing (Minnesota)
- Sarah Kelley, Principal, Common Threads Consulting
Moderator:
- Traci Bruckner, Senior Director of Public Policy, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders
