The economic impacts of Covid-19 on herding families are considerable and concerning. The fall in demand for cashmere caused a fall of up to 60% (compared to last year’s average price of raw cashmere). For the majority of herders, this is devastating since cashmere is their main or only income. The fall in income will not only impact their own economic security and wellbeing but the welfare of their animals. The SFA surveyed its herders this May and the responses indicate that reduced incomes and loan repayments will impact animal welfare in three ways:
Over the past five years, the SFA has worked with herding communities to promote the adoption of sustainable herding practices, which contributes to building resilience in their own herding livelihoods. Covid-19 has only highlighted the importance of local networks and support systems, access to knowledge, flexibility and mobility, innovative herding skills and use of reserve pastures in helping herding communities cope with external shocks. Whether faced with a global pandemic or climatic disaster, we can help herders become better prepared for these shocks, mitigate their impacts and recover from more quickly.
In response to Covid-19 the SFA set up a Covid-19 Working Group where we and our members identified where we can add new activities in order to target our efforts where they are most needed responding to the two core goals of :
The recommendations of the SFA Covid-19 Working Group regarding our key areas of action are as follows:
For more information, visit http://www.londondesignbiennale.com
Sustainable Fibre Alliance is representing Mongolia and Cashmere with an installation at the London Design Biennale at Somerset House, London. The installation responds to the theme ‘Emotional States’.
Thu, May 23, 2019 10:00 – Sun, May 26, 2019 17:00, Blue Sky Hotel, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
A multi-stakeholder conference bringing together representatives of the cashmere supply chain and wider stakeholders to discuss current and future development of cashmere sector sustainability -Environmental, social and economic challenges, promoting long-term sustainable development and innovative cooperation.