What is Ahimsa Silk / Peace Silk?
The conventional extraction of silk fibers in which innumerable silk moths are killed is very cruel and unethical. The caterpillars are scalded with hot water and killed. This enables a faster production of silk. Usually around 3,000-15,000 silk moths die for one meter of silk.
Ahimsa Silk is a cruelty-free alternative. The production was invented and patented by the Indian engineer Kusuma Rajaiah. It enables the metamorphosis of the silkworm to the butterfly to be completed - here the cocoon is only processed after it has hatched. So no animal has to suffer or die.
Sericulture takes place under natural conditions. Trees in which the silkworms grow are not treated with fungicides, insecticides or genetic sprays. To protect the caterpillars from birds, a thin net is stretched over the trees. Once the caterpillars have spun their cocoons, they are kept in a sheltered place until they hatch. Although this slows down production, it enables ethical and non-violent production.
Ahimsa silk means:
- organic farming
- processing of the silk cocoons only after the silk moths have hatched
- no use of insecticides, fungicides or herbicides
- no chemical treatment of the fabrics
- fair social working conditions for hand weavers
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