The Good Cashmere Standard® defines a comprehensive set of criteria that was developed in close collaboration with animal welfare specialists and independent experts in cashmere production.
It takes into account ecological, social and economic aspects for a sustainable cashmere production.
The welfare of cashmere goats in particular is the focus of the new standard.
According to the five freedoms defined by the Farm Animal Welfare Council, no animal should be exposed to hunger, thirst, discomfort, pain, injury or disease.
Animals must also have the freedom to express normal behavior and to live a life free from fear and stress.
The standard also includes criteria for planning animal welfare conservation and recording the resulting outcomes.
Farmers must ensure that people who work with goats are trained and competent enough to do so.
In addition, the standard defines social criteria for both small and large businesses.
These criteria regulate issues such as the rights of children and female workers, gender equality, fair pay, and health and safety.
Farmers must also comply with requirements regarding management criteria and audits.
Protecting the environment in which Kashmir goats, farmers, and farming communities live is one of the central goals, and one of the most important principles in this regard is that goat farming should protect the land and not pollute it.
For example, the standard contains criteria for the responsible handling of fertilizers and pesticides, which define when and how they should be used appropriately.
Farms and producers of cashmere wool in Inner Mongolia are only certified if they demonstrably meet the criteria of the standard.
The cashmere farmers first answer a comprehensive series of questions about their livestock farming. Based on these results, independent third parties visit their farms to verify the proper implementation of the standard.
If the certification process is successful, the cashmere producer receives a certificate valid for one year, which allows the farmers to sell cashmere with The Good Cashmere Standard®.
More information: https://thegoodcashmerestandard.org/