Cashmere
Cashmere goats are subjected to inhumane practices and harsh conditions so that their wool can be used for luxury clothing
The goats used to produce cashmere are curious, social animals that originated from the Western Himalayan region of Kashmir. They are known for their ultra-fine, soft undercoat which is commonly used to produce high-end clothing such as sweaters and scarves.1
Did You Know?
The wool from approximately four goats is required to produce just one cashmere sweater.² But the delicate beauty of cashmere hides an ugly truth. Around 20,000 tonnes of cashmere are produced each year, and more than 700 million goats are used in the process.³ The main production countries are China and Mongolia.⁴ Many of the goats’ basic needs are often neglected, and they repeatedly suffer a painful and stressful shearing process which involves the goat’s legs being tied together before the undercoat is removed with a sharp comb which can scratch their skin causing cuts and infection.⁵
Animal welfare issues
Distressing Combing and Shearing Practices
- For combing and shearing goats are usually restrained for long periods which is extremely distressing for prey animals who are often unaccustomed to human contact.6 It is particularly stressful for pregnant goats and can cause physical harm to both the mother and the unborn kid.7
- Workers who are time-constrained or inexperienced easily injure the goats particularly if the goat is not in moulting season. Goats are often left with open cuts or wounds that are left untreated and without any pain relief.
- If goats are shorn in cold weather, some may die from sudden exposure due to the loss of their undercoat while in hot weather, they are at a higher risk of sunburn; further amplified through the lack of shelter.7
Painful Mutilations
- When they are just around 1 week old, baby goats may be de-horned with a hot iron or with a caustic chemical paste that can cause severe burns or even blindness if it comes into contact with their skin or eyes. The procedure is very painful and bears the risk of many life threatening consequences.8
- Male kid goats are often castrated using rubber rings or clamps. These methods can cause pain and distress for days, even weeks, as goats endure the slow process of waiting for the testes tissues to die off. They are also left vulnerable to tetanus infections.9
- Here you can find more information about mutilations in (cashmere) goats.
Challenging Environments
- Cashmere goats are often raised in very harsh environments with extreme temperatures and without necessary shelter protecting them from heat stress and freezing to death. To illustrate the problem from January to May 2024 in Mongolia alone more than 7.4 million animals died due to the harsh winter – what accounts for 11,50% of Mongolia's total lifestock.10
- Cashmere goats are known to be voracious grazers and overgrazing due to too many herds can cause grassland degradation and lead to the depletion of plant species that are essential for their nutritional needs.11
Slaughter
- The natural life-expectancy of a goat is around twelve years, however most goats in the cashmere industry are killed far earlier when they are no longer producing quality wool.12
- Often, goats are killed without adequate prior stunning or no stunning at all, enduring all the pain and fear associated with the slaughter method.12
FOUR PAWS call for:
- Ban on distressing shearing/combing procedures and painful mutilations
- Adequate shelter to be provided
- Improved human-animal relationship to minimise the animal’s stress
- Higher standards during transport and slaughter
- Containment of overgrazing
What we are doing
We are exposing the ugly truth behind cashmere and working with fashion brands to ensure they are sourcing ethical products that haven’t involved harm to animals. We have also successfully encouraged the strengthening of certification initiatives to help improve the welfare of cashmere goats.
Through our Wear it Kind programme, we are building a worldwide movement of people, designers, and brands who are demanding kindness to animals used in fashion.
What you can do
To make kinder fashion choices, you can avoid cashmere and shop for animal-friendly alternatives such as viscose and materials made from bamboo or consider buying second-hand clothing.
- Take the Wear it Kind pledge and show the world you want fashion free from animal suffering.
- Use our Wear it Kind Shopping Guide and Kind Knitting Guide to find out more about alternative materials to cashmere and other ways you can show compassion in fashion.
- If you do want to purchase cashmere, at a minimum ensure it is certified by the Good Cashmere Standard (GCS), however please be aware that such certifications can only help to reduce welfare risks and won’t remove them entirely.
Source
1. Saleh AA et al. Assessment of hair and cashmere properties and their genetic background of several goat breeds in Southwest China. Scientific Reports. 2022;12(1):11135. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14441-1
2. How conscious is cashmere? The ethical options to wear this winter | London Evening Standard | Evening Standard. [accessed 2024 Jul 12]. https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/fashion/cashmere-jumper-woolly-sustainable-knitwear-conscious-a3994806.html#comments-area
3. Spina M. ANNUAL CASHMERE MARKET REPORT. The Schneider Group. 2019 [accessed 2024 Mar 14]. https://www.gschneider.com/annual-cashmere-market-report/
4. Spina M. ANNUAL CASHMERE MARKET REPORT 2020. The Schneider Group. 2021 [accessed 2024 Jul 15]. https://www.gschneider.com/annual-cashmere-market-report-2020/
5. Harvesting of textile animal fibres. Chapter 4. [accessed 2024 Nov 19]. https://www.fao.org/4/v9384e/v9384e09.htm
6. Stress in Angora Goats. SA Mohair Growers. [accessed 2024 Nov 19]. https://www.angoras.co.za/article/stress-in-angora-goats
7. Interview with FOUR PAWS about the sensitive topic of animal welfare. [accessed 2024 Nov 19]. https://thegoodcashmerestandard.org/interview-four-paws/
8. Hempstead M, Waas J, Stewart M, Sutherland M. Goat kids are not small calves: Species comparisons in relation to disbudding. Animal Welfare. 2020;29(3):293–312. https://doi.org/10.7120/09627286.29.3.293
9. Small Ruminant Castration. [accessed 2024 Nov 20]. https://open.lib.umn.edu/app/uploads/sites/208/2018/11/sm-rumin-castration-web-doc.pdf
10. Power BI Report. [accessed 2024 Nov 19]. https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiODIxNzExMzYtNWNjZi00NzUzLTk5MzktZDM2ZTRkOGRkZDllIiwidCI6IjBmOWUzNWRiLTU0NGYtNGY2MC1iZGNjLTVlYTQxNmU2ZGM3MCIsImMiOjh9
11. Wei Y, Zhen L. The dynamics of livestock and its influencing factors on the Mongolian Plateau. Environmental Development. 2020;34:100518. (Resources Use, Ecosystem Restoration and Green Development). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2020.100518
12. Cashmere. Collective Fashion Justice. [accessed 2024 Nov 19]. https://www.collectivefashionjustice.org/cashmere
2. How conscious is cashmere? The ethical options to wear this winter | London Evening Standard | Evening Standard. [accessed 2024 Jul 12]. https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/fashion/cashmere-jumper-woolly-sustainable-knitwear-conscious-a3994806.html#comments-area
3. Spina M. ANNUAL CASHMERE MARKET REPORT. The Schneider Group. 2019 [accessed 2024 Mar 14]. https://www.gschneider.com/annual-cashmere-market-report/
4. Spina M. ANNUAL CASHMERE MARKET REPORT 2020. The Schneider Group. 2021 [accessed 2024 Jul 15]. https://www.gschneider.com/annual-cashmere-market-report-2020/
5. Harvesting of textile animal fibres. Chapter 4. [accessed 2024 Nov 19]. https://www.fao.org/4/v9384e/v9384e09.htm
6. Stress in Angora Goats. SA Mohair Growers. [accessed 2024 Nov 19]. https://www.angoras.co.za/article/stress-in-angora-goats
7. Interview with FOUR PAWS about the sensitive topic of animal welfare. [accessed 2024 Nov 19]. https://thegoodcashmerestandard.org/interview-four-paws/
8. Hempstead M, Waas J, Stewart M, Sutherland M. Goat kids are not small calves: Species comparisons in relation to disbudding. Animal Welfare. 2020;29(3):293–312. https://doi.org/10.7120/09627286.29.3.293
9. Small Ruminant Castration. [accessed 2024 Nov 20]. https://open.lib.umn.edu/app/uploads/sites/208/2018/11/sm-rumin-castration-web-doc.pdf
10. Power BI Report. [accessed 2024 Nov 19]. https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiODIxNzExMzYtNWNjZi00NzUzLTk5MzktZDM2ZTRkOGRkZDllIiwidCI6IjBmOWUzNWRiLTU0NGYtNGY2MC1iZGNjLTVlYTQxNmU2ZGM3MCIsImMiOjh9
11. Wei Y, Zhen L. The dynamics of livestock and its influencing factors on the Mongolian Plateau. Environmental Development. 2020;34:100518. (Resources Use, Ecosystem Restoration and Green Development). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2020.100518
12. Cashmere. Collective Fashion Justice. [accessed 2024 Nov 19]. https://www.collectivefashionjustice.org/cashmere