SFA herders met online with representatives of leading luxury brands to discuss the major issues affecting the cashmere sector this year, including the impact of Covid-19, this summer’s drought, fibre demand and sustainability practices. The aim of the meetings was to galvanise collective action in building and promoting a competitive and sustainable cashmere sector in Mongolia.
The herders, who have all been accredited against the SFA Codes of Practice, had the opportunity to share their efforts in rangeland protection and animal welfare and their focus on improving livestock quality over quantity. In the Bayarkhongor region the urgency to reduce the number of livestock and improve the rangeland conditions has been brought into sharp focus with the threat of a dzud this year (where extreme weather following a poor summer results in livestock not being able to access enough grass).
The SFA collaborated with the UNDP’s Mongolian Sustainable Cashmere Platform (MSCP), who initiated the meetings. They also arranged meetings with other sustainability initiatives including the NFPUG, ENSURE and Green Gold.
This was the first in a series of these meetings between produces and brands, the next will be on the 20th November, if you would like to attend, or would like us to pose a question on your behalf then register on http://sustainablecashmereplatform.com/ – it’s certainly not your typical zoom meeting!