100 mile fibre: The organization and governance of fibresheds in Southern Ontario and Northern Ohio

Abstract

Textile overconsumption, propelled by a fashion industry that is global in scale and overly reliant on non-renewable feedstocks, has led to new models of fibre production. One model is the fibreshed, a regional-based fibre system that proposes circularity, local scale and suitability, and accessible mechanisms of governance. While fashion and design scholars have studied fibresheds, more research is needed to develop a theoretical understanding of them, their structures of governance and their contributions to sustainable fashion. To address these gaps, a case study was conducted on two fibreshed networks in North America. This research examined how the model is being delivered and the factors influencing its implementation, in particular, how regional fibre production is structured, managed and supported in two regions – Southern Ontario and Northern Ohio – areas which include the organizations of Upper Canada Fibreshed in Ontario and Rust Belt Fibershed in Ohio. Informed by existing scholarship in fashion, sustainable fashion and governance, and by theories on place and regions, this exploratory work involved interviews with key informants and a review of primary documents to draw an empirical understanding of the organization and governance of fibresheds. More specifically, it applied Benedum and Becker’s (2021) network governance framework to assess how fibreshed players organize, coordinate stakeholders and carry out their objectives of social accountability and regional development. By integrating sustainable fashion concepts with regional theories from geography and design, the results of this research emphasize the social-spatial dimensions of fibresheds. They also inform the study of other regional-based supply networks by reinforcing the impact of heterogeneity on network capacity and the need for producer involvement in decision-making. Such an analysis provides a critical foundation for progress toward the governance of sustainable fashion which values the players and leads to more meaningful engagement with sustainable consumption.