Updates

What Does Decent Work Mean to Women Herders in Rural Mongolia?

Posted March 7, 2024 by Katy Edwards

In 2022, on behalf of the SFA, María E. Fernández-Giménez with the assistance of Tugsbuyan Bayarbat, Chantsallkham Jamsranjav and Tungalag Ulambayar hosted a series of participatory workshops with women herders from Mongolia’s Arkhangai and Bayankhongor provinces. Discussing what decent work meant to them, the sessions looked at how women herders relate to their work – characterised by a connection with nature, their herd, the family unit, their community and the wider Mongolian population.

What does decent work mean?

Broadly speaking, it relates to employees earning a sufficient income from the work they do in a fair and safe environment, and while it might have different meanings depending on geography, culture and economic development, the term decent work is somewhat rigid in its definition. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) defines decent work as “productive work for women and men in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity”, with the four pillars of their Decent Work Agenda – employment creation, social protection, rights at work, and social dialogue – pivotal in the development of The United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs); Goal Eight is Decent work and Economic Growth.

Access to decent work is one of the Five Global Principles of the SFA’s Cashmere Standard and ensures ‘fair hiring practices and working conditions, equality in wages, the protection of traditional communities, the prevention of child labour, gender equality and the promotion of health and safety’. The Principle is also guided by the eradication of forced labour, while ensuring equal pay and decision-making roles for women. Developed inline with the ILO’s own definition, the SFA’s Decent Work Principle often applies to communities that live in remote, rural locations which can be a regulatory challenge. However, conversations across the supply chain are important in addressing such challenges, as they capture the realities of herders’ working lives. They also provide vital insight for standards such as the SFA’s by contextualising the nuances of herders’ own definitions of decent work within their day-to-day – something that might not necessarily be captured by international development agencies.

Conversations from the workshops highlighted two overarching themes: the definition of what decent work meant to the women in a practical sense, and how the societal expectations impact the women’s access to it. The facilitators used themes inline with, but not exclusive to, the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda to discuss their definition of decent work. This covered the women’s opinions on meaningful and productive work in healthy and safe environments, as well as freedom from abuse, harassment and discrimination, social protection and security, social dialogue, cooperation and opportunities for professional development and learning.

It’s widely accepted that herding in Mongolia is more than just a livelihood, it’s a way of life that brings meaning, a sense of identity, culture and tradition – it’s an occupation that creates feelings of dignity, pride and purpose – especially when the work is valued and respected by the wider society; an important component of the global understanding of decent work. Discussing the position of herders in modern Mongolia, the participants noted how respect for herders and the herder lifestyle had dwindled in recent years, with young people increasingly opting to live in urban areas in pursuit of life away from rural pastoralism. According to The International Organization for Migration (IOM), this is a countrywide shift, with dramatic rural-to-urban migration raising the capital Ulaanbaatar’s population to almost 1.5 million – half of the entire country’s total population. With this migration, the women feared the loss of their culture and tradition, emphasising a lack of cultural education and a disconnect between those living rurally and in urban environments. The development of a more secure rural economy was just one of many suggestions the women made in reference to not only encouraging people back to the countryside, but also as a means to secure productive work and income year-round from their livestock. They also touched on the prospect of alternative rural employment as another solution. Interestingly, the women intrinsically linked decent work and productivity, raising a further five points that they thought vital to their access to both:

Stable and sufficient income from livestock.
Access to the means of production (seasonal pasture lands, water and minerals, shelters and corrals (animal pens) and livestock).
Access to the knowledge and the information they needed to work.
Fair and timely pay for hired herders.
Protection from climate hazards.

It’s important to understand that cashmere is just one of several income streams for Mongolian herders who herd a mix of goats, sheep, cattle, camels and yaks – dependent on their geography. The mixed herds provide a range of produce ranging from cashmere fibre to meat and dairy, and generate seasonal income throughout the year. As Mongolian herders are predominantly reliant on this produce, access to resources and means of production is paramount to their access to decent work year round. A great example of this was discussed by the workshop participants from Arkhangai. The women spoke of their relative success in adding value to their produce through the production of ‘fancy’ aaruul (a traditional Mongolian curd cheese) which they sold directly to customers in the capital and other cities across Mongolia. They keenly noted that aaruul, along with sales from other such value-added dairy products, accounted for roughly 80% of their household income. In a later discussion regarding the production of value-added produce and their access to opportunities for professional development and learning, the women all strongly desired increased access to vocational training, forums and knowledge sharing in order to independently improve the earning potential of their produce.

Another important factor that sits front and centre of both international and more localised decent work agendas is the impact of climate change and the realities of its effect on rural pastoralists. With a changing climate, fragile ecosystems, such as those seen in Mongolia, are already dealing with the brunt of more extreme weather. According to Save the Children, Mongolia is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, with a significant rise in dzuds – catastrophic weather events when a drought in the warmer months is followed by extreme temperature drops and snowfall. In the past, dzuds were known to occur once every decade or so, however in recent years they have become much more common. The National Agency of Meteorology and the Environmental Monitoring (NAMEM) of Mongolia reported that as of February 2024, a total of 80% of the country has been in a dzud weather disaster, with iron- / glass-dzud hitting regions covering 58 soums, across 13 provinces of Mongolia. The snow fall, along with the fatally low temperatures, restricts livestocks’ access to food, creating significant challenges for herders. When discussing the impact of dzuds, long term weather forecasts was one way the participants said could help them in their preparations, with the groups all in agreement that such pre-warnings would allow them to stockpile hay for the animals, as well ensuring appropriate access to shelters.

While much of the discussions focused on the welfare of the land and livestock in the herder context, the women also spoke of the challenges they’d experienced with their own and other’s health and safety whilst working – a core component of the Decent Work Agenda. The ILO’s International Labour Standard on occupational safety and health states the importance of how ‘workers must be protected from sickness, disease and injury arising from their employment’. It also understands that this might not be the case for millions of workers worldwide – with some difficulties arising when the lines are blurred between the workplace and home and when income streams are seasonal. Using cashmere as an example, cashmere is harvested in the spring, over a course of a few months. Within that period, tens of millions of goats across the country are harvested for their fibre. This level of intensity can create a number of challenges with respect to health and safety, especially as the home and workplace, as previously mentioned, are one and the same. The women spoke about a number of issues including the importance of ‘safe and healthy working conditions that promote mental wellbeing and limit excess stress’ as well as ‘ensuring the work is appropriate for the ability and age of the person doing it’. The women, especially those from Arkhangai, expressed how taking time away from work and vacations played an important role in the reduction of workplace stress, especially as all the women agreed about the impact of their ‘triple labour burden’ – caring for the livestock, children and the elderly, the processing dairy products and housekeeping. It’s customary for children, especially adolescents, to support their family by helping with milking, cashmere harvesting and the processing of products from the animals, alongside caring for younger siblings. The workshop participants, worryingly, identified how children, especially boys, were increasingly being removed from school too soon in order to do so, thus not finishing their education. With respect to decent work, many of the women mentioned the importance of education for children, especially how the education of their children in soum centres (a community and commercial centres with access to facilities, education and commercial opportunities) played a significant role in their development. Soum centres have dormitories for children to attend school, however if those spaces are full, the women are expected to stay with the children, which was noted to potentially create marital stress. As the family and labour unit are the same, this can often lead to children being educated at home – another addition to the triple labour burden.

Another important factor raised by the participants was how the triple labour burden impacted their ability to access health care, due to time constraints along with a number of other obstacles. Some noted how health insurance was too expensive for them, while most of the women complained about how health care was not readily available, with doctors appointments difficult to obtain. They also discussed how they didn’t have confidence in the training of the bag (a smaller division of the soum) and soum doctors available to them – with many expressing worry about mis-diagnosis and dismissals of their symptoms. This, combined with their remote locations, presented a very real concern for the women, especially with respect to access to vaccinations, regular check ups and other preventative care and screenings.

In the context of community cooperatives and collectives, women across the various groups emphasised the critical need for organisations representing herders’ rights. These organisations would address pressing issues such as the loss of grazing lands, environmental degradation, inadequate access to health and veterinary services, and the absence of preschool facilities in remote rural areas. Particularly, they underscored the necessity for representation specifically tailored to women herders. Due to the triple labour burden the women highlighted the profound social isolation they sometimes experienced. They also expressed a desire for increased opportunities to participate in community and cultural events, seeking avenues for social connection and engagement. There was also a recurrent observation regarding the shift in herder culture towards individualism, which they saw to have eroded traditional forms of community solidarity, collective work, cooperation, and mutual support. While some communities still maintain these traditions, others have experienced a decline, impacting both local and global perspectives on accessing decent work opportunities. These observations underscore the importance of revitalising and preserving communal values to foster more inclusive and sustainable decent work for women herders.

The insights gleaned from discussions between the workshop facilitators and the women herders immediately shed light on something interesting. In terms of the ILO’s approach to decent work, which is categorised under somewhat rigid frameworks, the women herders held a more holistic perspective on what constitutes decent work. From their perspective, decent work relied heavily on the interdependent integration of human, environmental and livestock health and wellbeing.

The participants emphasised the importance of:

The health of the environment in which they do the work.
The health of the livestock on which their livelihoods depend, and which in turn depend on a healthy environment.
Human health and wellbeing – which is also linked to the two previous points.

These points prompt reflection on the potential gap between global standards and the realities and requirements of herders, especially women, in Mongolia’s countryside. However, it also offers an opportunity for organisations like the SFA, which use international standards to craft their own standards, to develop an approach to decent work that makes use of insights from both ends of the spectrum.

Learn more about how the SFA incorporates decent work practices into their standards here.

Lotti Blades-Barrett

8 March 2024

Dzud Hits Mongolia | Devastating Conditions for Livestock & Herders

Posted February 29, 2024 by Katy Edwards

The National Agency Meteorology and the Environmental Monitoring (NAMEM) of Mongolia reports that as of February 2024, a total of 80% of the country is in a “Dzud” weather disaster, with Iron / Glass Dzud hitting regions covering 58 soums, across 13 provinces.

According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) report on the 26^th of February 2024, the loss of livestock reached 2.3 million, an 86% increase compared to the same period last year.

What is Dzud?

Mainly occurring in steppe regions of central and east Asia, Dzud is a winter weather phenomenon in which deep snow, severe cold, or other conditions render forage unavailable or inaccessible, leading to high livestock mortality. Dzud is considered a disaster due to its effects on livestock populations that support the livelihoods of a third of Mongolia’s population.

Not just leading to a disastrous number of livestock loss, Dzud can also threaten human lives as it makes travel conditions and transportation impossible. Food, drink, fuel, medicine, and other necessities quickly become unreachable for a period beyond the regular supply reserves of households. The devastation it brings can have a turning impact on household livelihoods, as well as local and national economies.

Each type of Dzud brings its own extreme level of conditions that challenge herders beyond their provisions for already harsh Mongolian winters. Although not regular in occurrence, scientists documented changes in regional climate in the past 60 years and predict that Dzud will likely increase in frequency and magnitude with future atmospheric changes.

How does Dzud affect animals?

With this year’s disaster hitting especially hard, Mongolia is expected to see more snowfall throughout the beginning of March. With this, animal mortality will reach devastating numbers due to the lack of feed and water, combined with the extreme cold, as herders exhaust their winter reserves.

Records warn that a tough spring is likely to follow these harsh Dzud conditions, with storms, blizzards, and floods causing a late arrival of fresh grass. Herders will need intense strength as they start to approach offspring season and prepare for already weakened survivor herds following the Dzud disaster.

How does Dzud affect people?

Herder communities and their families are physically affected by the Dzud with road blockades making it difficult to reach water, food, fuel, and to stock up on supplies. Additionally, being cut off from medical and emergency services can cause serious situations for those who need it.

With a shortage of cash on hand, many herders will try to restock these necessities by exploiting an advance sales payment for their upcoming cashmere harvest. Burdening to their already decreased harvest in the spring, this will affect them financially during the cashmere season with a loss on actual market price.

Besides livestock and financial loss, herders will suffer from stress and mental well-being as an outcome of these tough conditions. Especially young herders, who need moral support to cope with the loss and devastation. In many cases, herders face a total loss of livestock that will likely force many to migrate to urban settlements, adding to the already overpopulated slums and poverty in the city.

How can we help?

The Mongolia government, managed by the State Emergency Commission, began immediate response to the disaster situation by making roads accessible, distributing hays, fodders for animals, and necessary relief to herders. However, despite government measures and aid from international donor organisations, more assistance in parallel is needed to reach and support all households to mitigate animal and livestock losses effectively.

Utilising knowledge and previous experiences from reports such as “Lessons from the Dzud” (co-written by SFA founder Batkhishig Baival), we are informed through science on how best to adapt and increase resilience in these disastrous situations. The report recommends that short-term aid relief should link to sustainable long-term development support. In line with the recommendations presented in this report, the SFA has begun initiating immediate aid for SFA herder organisations in the regions that have been hit hardest. Through organised coordination with local governments and herder communities, the SFA Mongolia team begun distributing vital animal feed and supplies this week to six SFA herder organisations spread across three soums in the north-eastern provinces.

The SFA works with established herder organisations that consist of multiple herding families in a communal grazing area, supporting them in governance, capacity building, and participatory planning to bring benefits to their livelihood. Find out more about how we support herder livelihoods and more through our work and standards here.

Throughout the last week, we have begun raising funds internally with incredible support from SFA members and partners to look to purchase and deliver essential items, such as fodders, blankets for animals, salt, supplements, batteries, medicines, and milk supplements for newborn animals. These items are purchased from local suppliers at the province level and handed over to herder organisation leaders, ensuring efficient distribution to herders in need, as well as supporting local businesses.

Thank you to SFA Members & Partners

On behalf of our SFA herders and herder organisations, we would like to say a huge thank you to all our brand and retailer members, chain of custody participants and partners who have already reached out to us with amazing offers of support. Without your generous donations and joint efforts, we wouldn’t be able to support our herder households in working to overcome the Dzud disaster by providing much-needed moral support.

Ms Narantsetseg, head of the Yavin-Bulag herder cooperative, of Umnudelger soum Khentii Province, expressed profound gratitude for the aid received via video call to the SFA Mongolia & UK team:

“It is the first aid we receive for the entire soum. The cube feeds are crucial for this time. We are distributing them to co-op members and begging Mother Nature to turn the season soon. Thank you SFA for the aid!”

While initial relief efforts have garnered commendation from local authorities, the road ahead remains fraught with challenges. The SFA aid campaign is ongoing and calling members and other partners in the natural fibre industry for support. If you would like to get involved with our Dzud natural disaster plan and emergency fund, please contact info@sustainablefibre.org.

A Mongolian proverb says:

“It is worth helping with a single needle when in need, rather than a whole camel in time of prosperity.”

Tamir Bud

SFA COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

29 February 2024

Ensure Your Supply Chain is Certified Against the SFA FPS

Posted January 26, 2024 by Katy Edwards

It is SFA policy that only cashmere that has been dehaired and scoured in compliance with the SFA Fibre Processing Standard (FPS) can be considered to be ‘SFA Certified’. The timeline has now been defined and primary processors will have until 1st November 2024 to become certified. In order to achieve this deadline, please reach out to your supply chains and make sure they are certified, as after this date they will no longer be able to supply ‘SFA Certified’ cashmere without FPS certification. Additionally, we will be providing training for FPS over the next few months, so please do reach out to us at info@sustainablefibre.org if organisations within your supply chain would like to attend.

To help you communicate the benefits of certification and the process for getting certified, we have created the guide below. Please share it with your supply chain and encourage them to get certified as soon as possible.

What is the SFA Fibre Processing Standard?

The SFA Fibre Processing Standard has been developed for primary processing plants that sort, scour (wash) and de-hair raw cashmere fibres. The requirements are focused on the reduction and elimination of harmful chemicals such as APEOs in line with ZDHC’s MRSL, efficient use of energy and water, and ensuring safe and fair working environments.

The standard can be applied to processing plants that sort, prepare, scour and / or de-hair cashmere fibre along with the environmental, social and supply chain elements of the business that run alongside these operations. This helps to provide economic growth for herders and the supply chain, as processes such as sorting help to increase the value of fibres. This continuous improvement within your supply chain, supported by the standard, will allow for better measuring and monitoring in key areas such as carbon reduction.

It is split into different units for each of these processes, and processing plants must achieve compliance in all units that are relevant to its function. By becoming certified against the SFA Fibre Processing Standard, your supply chain is proving that it is committed to the following principles:

SOCIAL & ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Fair labour & working conditions
No child labour
Health, safety & hygiene

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Safe use of chemicals & hazardous substances
No APEOs
Energy & water usage
Controlled environmental waste management

SUPPLY CHAIN & BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Long-term economic growth
Economic value for herders & supply chain
Accountability & effective management through KPIs

What are the Benefits of Certification?

1. Increased value through SFA Fibre Processing Standard

The SFA offers the SFA Fibre Processing Standard as a way for the primary processors in your supply chain to demonstrate their commitment to, and success in, meeting environmental and workplace best practice. Achieving this allows primary processors to sell SFA Certified fibre as part of the Chain of Custody. The SFA also provides support, training, and assessments in the Standard.

2. Increased value through SFA Chain of Custody

To meet the growing consumer expectations for transparency and sustainably produced goods, the SFA has implemented a Chain of Custody within its Standards. This allows the primary processors within your supply chain to validate their fibres as those originating from certified sources and attain greater value. This ensures that you, and other buyers along the supply chain, can trace the certified status of your purchases.

3. Links to fibre producers

Primary processors, who are SFA certified, gain access to cashmere-connect.com where they are visible to Mongolian herder organisations and can access valuable information about them. Events such as the “Herding Organisation & Processor Meet & Greet”, which promotes collaboration between processors and herders, are also open to certified members. These offerings have been invaluable during global events like the Covid pandemic, when traders who usually facilitate the connections were unable to travel.

4. Market links

Access to cashmere-connect.com also provides visibility to other SFA members and Chain of Custody participants. The platform displays business contact details and in addition, certain processors may disclose the quantity of raw fibre they currently have in stock. It helps to promote trust between buyers and sellers of the cashmere sector through a common Standard.

5. Focused training

Through the Fibre Processing Standard, the SFA offers training sessions and in-depth training manuals across all three areas of cashmere fibre primary processing. These are:

Sorting
Scouring
Dehairing

We will be providing training over the next few months, so please do reach out to us at info@sustainablefibre.org if organisations within your supply chain would like to attend.

6. Invitations to SFA events

In addition to providing training on our Standards, the SFA offers many networking events, member meetings and conferences. Certified processors are also given the opportunity to speak at SFA conferences to present their perspectives on diverse topics related to the cashmere sector.

7. Greater understanding of their agency as cashmere processors

The main objective of the SFA is to promote the sustainable and responsible production of cashmere that adheres to global standards. In pursuit of this objective, the SFA encourages processors to source and process responsibly in order to add value and reputation as well as continuous improvement to bring social and environmental change. Additionally, an emphasis is placed on operating efficiently and transparently to ensure accountability within the industry and your own supply chain to help bring about better measuring and monitoring.

8. Be better informed about opportunities to integrate SFA Standards

The SFA’s grassroots approach involves actively engaging with those who adhere to the SFA Standards into their day-to-day operations. Feedback from processors on how to demonstrate compliance and show improvements, including inputs on practical limitations, play a pivotal role in forming and refining the SFA requirements.

How do they become certified?

1. Register with the SFA

First and foremost, if the primary processors within your supply chain are looking for certification against the SFA Chain of Custody and / or Textile Exchange Content Claim Standard to produce, process and/or trade ‘SFA Certified’ fibre they must register with the SFA. Registering with the SFA will generate a unique reference number for their company.

To get started, they need to email membership@sustainablefibre.org.

2. Find a Conformity Assessment Body (CAB)

Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) are independent third parties accredited to carrying out certification and other activities related to the assurance of certification schemes. The list of CABs approved to conduct certification activities for the SFA Fibre Processing Standard and SFA Chain of Custody can be found here on the SFA website.

3. Complete an assessment and, if they’re successful, become certified

Their chosen CAB will be able to provide more information on the certification process including how long it takes and costs.

Is your supply chain certified ready?

With the information provided above on the benefits and process of becoming certified against the SFA Fibre Processing Standard and SFA Chain of Custody, we do hope that you reach out to your supply chains over the coming months to ensure that they are certified and have their relevant scope certificates come 1^st November 2024 to help keep your supply chain running smoothly.

Katy Edwards

SFA MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

26 January 2024

What Makes Cashmere, Cashmere?

Posted January 22, 2024 by Katy Edwards

Unravel cashmere's unique qualities and their role in the responsible production of cashmere.

The insurance of high-quality cashmere fibre is one of a number of important factors that feed into its responsible production – the core of the Sustainable Fibre Alliance’s (SFA) mission. Achieving gold standard sustainable fibre should exist in conjunction with the commercial interests of the sector. However, such an outcome depends on an approach that holistically focuses on a number of key environmental, welfare and production areas – it also takes time, which does not often work well in the context of fast fashion. In this article, we are going to explore how cashmere’s properties, origins and qualities play a significant role in steering the industry’s longevity and authenticity, alongside reducing its environmental and social impact.

Cashmere is combed or sheared from cashmere goats predominantly herded or farmed on arid plains in China, Mongolia and Afghanistan. High quality cashmere relies on the seasonal, subzero temperatures of these environments in order for goats to grow the insulating undercoats that the fibre is harvested from. Cashmere is world renowned for its softness, warmth, elasticity and, when knitted or woven, its ability to keep its shape. Once recognised for its exclusivity, cashmere is now a high street and supermarket staple and is available to suit more democratised price points. However, the casualty of quantity is quality, with lower grade fibres added to the mix to meet the growing demand for cheaper, faster fashion.https://www.traditionrolex.com/22

Cashmere’s unique qualities stem from a number of core, measurable properties including fineness (the fibre’s diametre), length, colour and crimp, which vary depending on a number of factors including the age, breed and welfare of cashmere goats, their environment and the way in which the fibre is harvested, stored and processed. The standards for the welfare of cashmere goats vary depending on their location, but all prioritise the natural behaviours of cashmere herds and their mental wellbeing, access to good quality food, clean water and shelter when required. In Mongolia, the welfare of cashmere goats is intrinsically linked to the quality of their natural environment, which has come under strain due to climate change and overgrazing. Ensuring the preservation of the goats’ natural habitat is dependent on effective herd management and regenerative herding practices to ensure grasslands are utilised and maintained in line with nature, not against it. Effective Management and Animal Welfare, along with preservation and improvement of good quality cashmere fibre are three of the five Global Principles outlined by the SFA’s Cashmere Standard for the responsible production of cashmere. The continued decline of cashmere fibre is a direct symptom of overconsumption and poses a significant threat to the livelihoods and prosperity of cashmere herders, as well as to the integrity and longevity of cashmere fabric. By committing to improving fibre quality, the SFA aims to secure livelihoods for cashmere herders, enabling them to maintain their traditional way of life with incomes that can sustain them. Furthermore, it sits at the heart of the SFA’s call-to-action for developing sustainable cashmere supply chains in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to eradicate poverty (Goal One) and to encourage and incentivise the sustainable production and consumption of cashmere fibre (Goal Twelve). However, improving cashmere fibre quality is not a simple fix and it takes time to see marked differences, especially as cashmere goats produce harvests just once a year. In line with the SFA’s Cashmere Standard, there are a number of key areas that herders need to focus on in order to maximise on fibre quality including responsibly breeding goats that produce good quality fibre, knowledge sharing between herder communities, and monitoring and adapting their methods depending on the outcome of their annual harvest. Knowledge sharing is especially important in the context of environmental responsibility, not only in cashmere, but across the entirety of the fashion sector and other global industries. Applying effective knowledge and methods to one group is good, but sharing such insight across an expanse of groups and communities is excellent. This is how long lasting sector-wide sustainable impact is made.

The key to unlocking high quality, high grade cashmere fibre – graded from A to C, depends on the aforementioned environmental and welfare conditions goats reside in, but it also depends on several other external factors. For instance, the way in which the fibre is sorted and stored. The age and colour of goats are important to the overarching quality of fibre and, in mixed herds, the SFA Cashmere Standard ensures that fibres are sorted and stored with this in mind to separate different grades of cashmere fibre. Fibres are also stored using materials that reduce the likelihood of contamination, be that via fragments from the storage itself – such as fragile polypropylene bags, or other foreign, biological materials.

To protect the integrity of cashmere fibre, fibres are tested in laboratory settings to ensure the quality and authenticity of cashmere goods. Industry leaders such as the CCMI and SGS respectively promote and use various technologies, like optical and scanning electron microscopes to check fibre scales, along with other properties such as fibre fineness in order to test these perimetres, identifying products that are falsely labelled via fibre blends or fibre qualities that are below industry standards.

When asked: ‘How does effective fibre testing and identification have an impact on the cashmere’s industry progression toward increased sustainability?’ CCMI’s President Fabio Garzena responded:

“Testing methods – microscopy before and more recently instrumental methods like proteomics and DNA had, have and will have a direct impact on the sustainability of the fibre. If the cashmere wasn’t recognised as such by testing or if its value and integrity wasn’t protected in the past and now, and hopefully in the future (mainly by the action of CCMI and its members), the cashmere industry would have not been sustainable and the value chain and its viability could have been compromised. Today we associate the concept of “sustainability” with animal welfare, grassland management and soil degradation, but these important aspects are the most recent of many challenges that the entire cashmere industry has faced, is still facing, and will face.

There is still a need for further innovations in testing technology. Today, we lack a reliable quantitative methodology to measure the blends of recycled and virgin cashmere. Even qualitative evaluations are not reliable or standardised. Recycled cashmere is cashmere, but of course has a lower quality compared to virgin cashmere, however most of the recycled cashmere is not sold as such to consumers, which are unaware of what they are buying. This is not transparent for consumers and is unfair competition for the supply chain that lives on virgin cashmere and is producing the cashmere that will be recycled in the future.

Everything is “sustainability”: some aspects or past challenges have been resolved only because they have become “business as usual”, but cannot be ignored, but managed daily. Current “sustainability” efforts are more challenging because they need more network integration and collaboration, which is complex and needs time and compromises to be accepted by everyone.”

When mentioning significant trends or changes in cashmere fibre testing, and whether fibre quality or purity has changed over recent years, Fabio said:

“During the last decade there have been various, very important innovations in the testing technologies related to animal fibers recognition and quantification, which of course includes cashmere. Proteomics methods have been developed and standardised and their use is and will get more widespread with the reduction of their cost (already similar to traditional microscopy). Such instrumental methodology has resolved, once and for all, the issue of distinguishing cashmere from yak or very fine wool with a fully objective method (an improved DNA based method will add further tools in this direction). Microscopy of course is objective but relies on technicians’ skill, so is very difficult to master. Instrumental analysis requires training and investments in expensive equipment, but can scale up easier if needed.

About quality and purity, these are concepts that depend on where and when we consider such features: quality of cashmere might be slightly reduced compared to the past, but this has nothing to do with purity. Purity is a concept related to manufacturing in all the different stages of the supply chain, of course without considering “intentional blends” made with fraudulent intent. For those cases of course testing technology have been an extremely important tool.”

The fineness of cashmere fibre is defined by the fibre’s diameter, measured in microns – a micron is one millionth of a metre (µm). The micron count of cashmere fibre can measure anywhere from 15 microns to 19 microns, with some super fine cashmere measuring as low as 14 microns from adult goats. For context, The International Wool Textile Organisation states wool fibres can range from 17 microns for super fine merino wool to 40 microns for much coarser wool used in carpets and hard wearing textiles. The fineness of cashmere fibre is what makes it soft and gentle on skin, with finer fibres achieving higher premiums. Fibres with higher micron counts such as wool are known for their irritation when worn next to skin. In contrast, cashmere’s fineness reduces irritation and increases practical versatility with a range of applications in garment and accessory design and production.

A much sought after, super fine cashmere, reserved only for the upper echelons of the luxury market – is baby cashmere – cashmere harvested from kids less than one year old. As goats mature their fibre thickens, but young kids produce cashmere with an average micron count of just 13.5 microns, which takes an entire season to produce just 30 grams. For context, an adult cashmere goat produces on average over 110 grams per growing season, so baby cashmere is an extremely rare and expensive fibre.

Another defining feature of cashmere quality is the length of the fibre – known as the ‘staple length’ – with lengths ranging from approximately 28mm to 42mm. The longer the staple lengths the higher the quality, because longer fibres are easier to spin and produce stronger yarns, fabrics and clothing that are more resistant to pilling (the bulbs that form in areas of high friction). Longer fibres also allow cashmere garments and fabrics to retain their shape better, with shorter fibres producing more fragile garments that have a more common tendency to stretch after wear and washing – feeding into the unsustainability of fast, throwaway fashion.

Multiple studies have identified how harvesting methods can impact fibre length, with industry leaders preferring the traditional combing method over shearing. Combing is when the fine cashmere undercoat is gently removed from the goat’s coarser guard coat during shedding season and naturally maintains the entirety of the fibre’s length, while reducing the removal of coarser guard hairs. Cashmere purity refers to the ratio of fine cashmere fibre to coarser guard hair exceeding the 30 micron limit. As identified by the CCMI, classified cashmere garments and fabrics should not contain more than 3% (by weight) of cashmere fibres above this limit. By shearing, coarser guard hairs are more prominent in harvests.

Cashmere is lauded for its ability to take dyes and retain its colour fastness – the capacity of materials to keep their colour. Lighter cashmere fibres are more versatile with respect to this and are therefore seen to be more valuable. White fibres, the industry’s gold standard, remove or reduce the need for bleaching at the dye phase and provide a wider variety of colour options. For darker fibres, bleaching is a necessity but can be harsh on fibres and can therefore impact the strength of the fibres in the long run. However, white cashmere fibre is not a natural norm and is most easily attained in a controlled farm setting, such as those seen in China. Cashmere goats herded in Mongolia and Afghanistan as a part of traditional pastoral lifestyles vary greatly in colour, with fewer white goats set against herds ranging from greys, browns and sometimes black. Mongolia’s national herd is known for its grey and brown goats, while Afghanistan’s herd is darker again, with goats producing grey, dark brown and sometimes black fibres. Selective breeding is one way the SFA is working with herders towards increased fibre quality, which involves the breeding of goats with fibres in a range of colours that are longer, finer and with higher levels of crimp.

Crimp refers to the natural waves of cashmere fibres, with higher crimp more prominent in finer fibres. Cashmere fibres are naturally wavy, providing essential insulation for goats raised in cold climates. Fibres with increased levels of crimp are of a higher standard and are linked to cashmere’s elasticity and the aforementioned insulation properties. Higher crimp not only increases insulation through the capture of heat bubbles in the wave, but it also enables fibres to lock together more effectively during the yarn spinning phase of production. Crimp is also known to give cashmere its loftiness and famously luxurious drape.

While setting the precedent for the continuation and increased flow of high quality cashmere fibre should be set by the cashmere industry itself, the consumer still has a significant role to play. Due to the nature of cashmere, it should not play a role in any decisions to impulse buy. Investing in pieces that last and are well made from high quality, responsibly sourced materials is paramount to the move to more environmentally and ethically sustainable fashion and textiles. While consumers might not have access to in-depth technical information, understanding the journey of cashmere and the importance of fibre quality for the sustainability of the cashmere industry is integral to making responsible purchasing decisions.