Annotations - pastoralism livestock wellbeing

Naadam is the first ethical and cruelty-free cashmere brand in the market! How are they doing it right? Beautifully and mindfully! All animals are hand-combed (not sheared!) and are cared for and treated humanely as a WAY OF LIFE, not merely a practice.

The "way of life" relates to #pastoralism-livestock-wellbeing but the agency here is attributed to Naadam, as opposed to the herders themselves. The implied claim is that these practices are new (humane treatment, mindfulness, combing), though they are positioned against something that is not explicitly spelled out (except for shearing, which does not actually apply to cashmere goats).

For decades, Mongolian Nomads have herded livestock on the Mongolian plateau, passing their craft from one generation to the next, in harmony with nature and the changing seasons. Nomads rely on their flocks for livelihood, and as a result have been instilled with an instinctive respect for their animals. The process of harvesting the cashmere and yak wool is gentle in nature, and has been meticulously practiced for centuries, culminating in the collection of each fibre, hand-combed in the spring. We have the Nomads and their ancestral teachings to thank for the innate luxury and durability of each garment.

"Hand-combing" parallel to

t all begins with Nomads like Batmunkh and Dorj, who tirelessly tend to their yaks and goats through the blazing summers and harsh winters on the Mongolian plateau. Both Batmunkh and Dorj migrate throughout the year to protect and provide for their animals, and when spring arrives, they carefully remove the finest fibres from their goats and yaks by hand. The efforts of Nomads like these two men are what bring our luxurious cashmere and yak wool pieces to life. Our garments are interwoven with innate longevity, and with a promise of prosperity for the Nomads and the lands they have roamed for centuries.

due to overgrazing, there are issues with environmental degradation that come with cashmere sustainability. Despite the fact that buying cashmere, a long-lasting product, can be very sustainable and ethical (cashmere cultivation doesn’t hurt the animal, it supports small-scale producers, and it is functional, soft, and biodegradable), the overall effect may not be if overproduction damages the environment

Nomads respect the land on which they live, caring for the animals in their charge like no other. This unique, symbiotic connection with the world around them enables them to preserve their environment on the Mongolian plateau, keeping it, as it would have been centuries earlier.

The term "nomads" implies #exoticism , but the message comes from a more Indigenous frame ("pastoralists have lived in harmony with their environment from time immemorial")

Each piece in this collection reflects the natural treasures of the Mongolian Steppe and the care and dedication Nomads have for their land and animals.

In her opening speech, UNDP Resident Representative Ms. Beate Trankmann highlighted that companies are against wholesale production of cashmere, and have begun to consider the environment, livestock and livelihoods of cashmere producers comprehensively, and noted that Mongolia has the opportunity to promote the value of traditional animal husbandry—livestock herding that is close to nature.

"close to nature" as a "noble savage" frame? or is this a mistranslation?

(she knows all the goats that supply their soft fibres for the end material)

Naadam has gained traction in the fashion world for its sustainable practices—the company sources the rare material from Mongolia, where the

This is the only major description of sustainability here. Sustainability is connected to "safe and practical" production in Mongolia, which does not really say much.

Mongolian wool is also cruelty-free: The goats are not shorn but brushed in spring during their natural molting season.

Combing termed "brushing" (which conveys a softer touch) and the association of cashmere with "natural" molting, as a product that would essentially go to waste if it were not harvested.

transparency. How can she guarantee her wool comes from happy goats and equally happy herdsmen? “The goats and sheep we source our wool from are free-roaming, so there’s lots of land for them to graze on,” she says. “We’ve been working with the same nomads for years so we always pay them a fair price – over 60 per cent of the price of each garment goes on raw materials, and I know that they have a good quality of life. Then there are the women in the factories, many of whom have worked with our family for years

Note the appeal to family relations and gender identify ("the women in the factories") in describing economic relationships.