Our Story

HOW WE GOT HERE

Over the course of 10 years, the SFA has grown from a concept into the world’s first global organisation for cashmere sustainability, with our training and certification programme able to reach over 160,000 herders in Mongolia and China.

Our two founders grew up in the Mongolian countryside and saw first-hand how climate change and overgrazing were impacting the land. Riverbeds were drying up, grasslands were turning to desert, and the families that once thrived in this environment faced a growing struggle. The Sustainable Fibre Alliance grew from their desire for a lasting, market-based and scalable solution for protecting Mongolia’s rich rangelands and pastoral culture for future generations.

Johnstons of Elgin is one of our founding members, helping to establish the SFA as a reputable and impactful organisation within the fashion industry. Scroll through the timelines below to learn more about our story:

2015-2017 | Building the Foundations
  • Founded by Una Jones and Batkhishig Baival, with founding support from Johnstons of Elgin, Burberry, and Kering Group; Alison Rodwell appointed Chair.
  • Creation of the Rangeland Stewardship and Animal Husbandry Codes, supported by training materials and a dedicated Science & Technical Committee.
  • Early adoption by 8 herder organisations, reaching 346 households across 7 regions of Mongolia.
  • First international SFA conference held in Ulaanbaatar; UK government funding secured.
2018-2020 | Turning Standards into Action
  • First certifications issued; 48 rangeland managers trained and Results Reporting Framework launched.
  • Programme scales to 3,843 herder households in 11 provinces, delivering 75 tonnes of certified fibre.
  • Launch of the Young Herder Training Programme and the SFA Sustainability Awards.
  • Expansion into China initiated, with the Clean Fibre Processing Code. blockchain traceability, and Chain of Custody pilots tracing 90 tonnes of fibre
  • Khanbogd Cashmere accredited, SFA x ICCAW Goat Welfare Code launched, and COVID Action Plan delivered.
2021-2023 | Scaling Global Impact
  • SFA becomes an ISEAL Community Member as SFA membership grows beyond 50 companies.
  • Over 1,500 tonnes of fibre traced, with SFA-certified hangtags appearing in stores globally.
  • Reach expands to 15,000 farms in China and over 16,000 herder households in Mongolia.
  • Launch of the global SFA Cashmere Standard and Natural Fibre Connect (NFC) partnership.
  • 100% certified content requirement introduced, alongside expanded access to low-interest finance for herders.
  • Global conferences delivered; Afghanistan project launched; Volume-Based Fee introduced, Chain of Custody Standard consulted, and SFA Cashmere Standard v2.0 intent published.
2024-2025 | Strengthening Resilience
  • Over £153,000 Dzud emergency response mobilised for herders in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia.
  • The SFA contributes to UNCCD COP16 and supports the Sustainable Natural Fibres (SNF) Global Conference in Beijing.
  • Cross-border knowledge exchanges deepen collaboration between SFA Mongolia and ICCAW.
  • Development of the SFA Threads traceability platform and launch of the SFA Animal Fibre Standard.
  • 10 years of SFA celebrated, with over 80 Members driving positive changes across natural fibre value chains.

Discover the stories, insights, and impacts behind these milestones in our here in our News & Blog section.

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