CASHMERE

Cashmere is a soft fiber sourced from cashmere goats by regular combing during the molting season. The majority of the world’s cashmere comes from Asia, particularly China and Mongolia. The fiber yield per goat is extremely low (up to 200g per goat), which means that hair of four to five goats is needed for one sweater and up to thirty animals are combed to obtain enough material for an overcoat.(1) This increases the environmental impact of cashmere production as the popularity of the fine fiber means that large areas of land are used to rear enough goats to meet the demand. In addition, cashmere goats are more damaging to land quality than other species as they forage more aggressively and consume more roughage.(2) The growing global demand resulted in overgrazing in the Central Asian grasslands, leading to desertification, land degradation and dust storms caused by soil erosion. Cashmere production is also known to compromise animal welfare and it offers precarious livelihoods to the goat herders, who live in poverty and are extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change and local land degradation. As a result, more sustainable alternatives are now sought, including wool and recycled cashmere. The Sustainable Fibre Alliance focuses on development of a more sustainable cashmere supply chain through restoration of grasslands and support and education for herders.