Regenerative agriculture in fashion might sound far removed from the design table, but it starts exactly where our fabrics begin: on the farm. The wool in our jumpers, the cotton in our shirts and the leather in our bags all come from the land and the animals that live on it.
In May 2026, Danish fashion company BESTSELLER announced a $3 million commitment to support sheep farmers in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. BESTSELLER is a family-owned business founded in 1975, and it is behind well-known brands such as ONLY, VERO MODA and JACK & JONES.
So why would a clothing company pay sheep farmers? Let’s take it step by step.
What is regenerative agriculture?
Much modern farming takes more from the land than it gives back, so the soil gradually wears out. Regenerative agriculture is a way of farming and grazing that aims to repair the land and restore its health, not simply to do less damage.
Think of it like an old garment: sustainability means wearing it carefully so it lasts longer; regeneration means mending and reinforcing it so it comes back stronger than before.
What it means for you: when a label says “regeneratively farmed wool or cotton”, it means the raw material came from land that is improving through production, not being drained by it.
What is rotational grazing?
The key practice in the South African project is rotational grazing. Instead of letting sheep graze the same patch until it is bare, the pasture is divided into sections and the flock moves from one to the next, giving each section time to recover.
It is rather like a gardener letting a lawn grow back before mowing again. The result is greener pasture, less soil erosion and land that stores more carbon. This isn’t a new idea: it is a return to traditional herding methods that local communities have used for generations.
What exactly happened?
BESTSELLER is not working alone. Its money goes into a shared fund called the Regenerative Fund for Nature: a pot of money that several organisations pay into so that, together, they can finance projects none of them could fund alone.
The fund was set up in 2021 by the environmental organisation Conservation International and Kering, owner of Gucci. Inditex, owner of Zara, joined in 2023, and now BESTSELLER has joined too.
In the Eastern Cape, the project has so far helped nearly 1,000 farmers adopt regenerative grazing across 17,000 hectares, around 170 square kilometres. Beyond healing the land, it has also given farmers better access to markets for what they produce. The new funding aims to scale that success across the wider region.
Why would a fashion brand pay farmers millions?
This is the heart of the story, and there are three clear business reasons:
1. Protecting the raw material supply: every strand of wool starts with a sheep grazing on a pasture. If grasslands degrade, wool becomes scarcer, poorer in quality and more expensive. BESTSELLER sees healthy land today as a secure supply of raw materials tomorrow. It is an investment in the very first link of the chain, before the factory and before the shop.
2. Meeting sustainability goals: the company has a sustainability strategy called Fashion FWD, a plan to reduce its environmental impact and protect nature across its entire value chain. This project is a practical part of that plan.
3. Sharing cost and expertise: rather than each brand building its own project from scratch, major companies pool their money in one fund managed by a specialist organisation that knows the land and its people. Every dollar goes further, and the brand gains a documented connection to the communities that produce its raw materials, which matters for consumer trust.
It helps to keep the figure in proportion: $3 million is a relatively modest sum for a company with more than 3,100 stores worldwide. What matters is the direction of travel: big fashion brands are starting to look beyond the factory, to the land itself.
What does this mean for you as a designer?
- Ask where your materials come from: when buying wool or cotton, ask your supplier where it was produced and how. This question will soon be standard in the industry.
- The story is part of the value: today’s customers buy the story along with the piece. Knowing the origin of your fabric adds genuine value to your design.
- Natural fibres are back in focus: growing interest in regeneratively produced wool and cotton means that understanding these fibres is becoming an in-demand skill for designers.
Conclusion
Regenerative agriculture in fashion reminds us that fashion doesn’t begin in the studio; it begins in the pasture. BESTSELLER’s investment isn’t simply charity; it is a smart business decision to protect the future of its materials. A designer who understands the whole chain, from land to finished garment, is a more informed designer and better prepared for what comes next.
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