Is silk production cruel to animals or people?
Most silk production involves shortening the lifespan of the silk moth by destroying the worm before it has a chance chew its way out of the cocoon and damage the silk strand. This is usually accomplished with hot water or steam. The silk moth has been domesticated for thousands of years, and now is entirely dependent on humans for its survival. “Wild” or Tussah silk does allow the silk moth to live its full lifespan, but this comes at the cost of shorter strands that must be spun into yarn instead of thread. Silk production is like most fabric production – it involves a lot of hand work. Because of silk’s high value, though, there is more potential for profits to find their way to the skilled worker. Silk also lends itself to entrepreneurial individuals, since start-up costs for small scale operations are quite low.
