The non-profit Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) has developed a new standard for sustainable cashmere amidst growing concern over the welfare of cashmere goats and demands for transparency and corporate responsibility. The AbTF’s Good Cashmere Standard covers the welfare of animals, the protection of the environment and the working conditions of farmers and farm workers. It has been developed in collaboration with animal-rights specialists and independent cashmere-production experts.
It will focus initially on 2,000 farmers in Inner Mongolia region of Northern China where cashmere goats are kept by settled farmers rather than roaming with nomadic herders. Farmers and buying stations for cashmere wool in Inner Mongolia will be certified only if proven to be in compliance with the standard’s criteria.
Cashmere farmers first complete a comprehensive series of questions on their livestock-keeping practices. Based on these results, independent third parties visit their farms to verify the proper implementation of the standard.
Tina Stridde, Managing Director of AbTF, said: “The Good Cashmere Standard provides a standard for the important resource (of) cashmere. It meets increased consumer demand for sustainability, quality, and transparency. “Many consumers want to be certain that the textiles they purchase were produced in accordance with social and environmental standards and that no animals were harmed in the process.” The new standard offers businesses their first opportunity to sell products made from certified, sustainable cashmere wool from Inner Mongolia. “The demand for The Good Cashmere Standard is correspondingly great. This sends an important signal to the entire textile and fashion sector,” continued Stridde.
The ERDOS Cashmere Group, one of the largest producers of cashmere in Inner Mongolia, a key supporter of the new standard, is one of five producers already offering and processing certified cashmere wool.
Peter Hahn, one of Germany’s leading cashmere retailers, was the first retail partner of the Good Cashmere Standard. Patrizia Strupp, Head of Sustainability at Peter Hahn, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with this new standard from the beginning. “It meets our high standards of animal welfare and environmental protection and creates greater security for our customers and even more confidence in our company.
” Peter Hahn has already been joined by additional fashion brands, including Bestseller, H&M, J.Crew, Madewell, and Lacoste.
