Alpaca is a member of the camel family (Camelidae) of animals. It is native to South America and best-known for its valuable fleece that is converted into a fine fiber that is used in several textile products including items of daily wear like sweaters and gloves. Besides, it is also used in making fashionable cloth. The coppery-gold fleece, obtained from alpacas, is the most costly fiber in nature, known worldwide for its fineness. A square yard cloth made entirely of this fleece, at present, costs no less than two thousand dollars. No wonder then that environment-friendly communities are increasingly seeking alpaca breeding for greater profit. Since the 1980s, when alpacas were introduced in the US, alpaca communities have been established in many developed and developing countries across the globe.

The primary goal of establishing an alpaca community is to bring together a group of alpaca breeders who can maintain and improve the breeds of this economically important animal and obtain the finest possible fleece without employing any techniques or materials that are noxious to the environment. The guiding principle of an alpaca community may be summarized as ‘Natural Fiber by Natural Means for the Greatest Profit’. So how do they reach this goal?

Ideally, an alpaca community consists of more than one (usually several) alpaca farms where alpacas are bred, predominantly, by natural means. Community members work in close collaboration by sharing useful information, resources, and healthy animals (usually fertile young males) for generating maximum profit in the form of natural fiber. Modern knowledge of genetics is now an invaluable source in selecting the best methods for nurturing more productive alpaca breeds. Promoting sales and encouraging the breeding practice of alpacas is another major goal of alpaca communities.

Since the advent of the Internet, the worldwide web has become an important platform for educating alpaca community members via ready access to free information. At the same time, the Internet is serving as an effective marketing source for alpaca breeding and promoting sales of alpaca-derived fiber. Online alpaca communities are getting recognized on the Internet, joined by affiliates, to cover the geographical distance between alpaca breeders. With centuries-long history of commercial farming, alpaca farming is now on a roll in five major continents of the world.

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