climate change

The cashmere herders in Mongolia already face several problems regarding the production, including income instability and uncertainty, and are often indebted to intermediaries for cash advances. The need for more sustainability and traceability in the sector is also required because of the decreasing quality of cashmere due to climate change, rise in unethical sustainable sourcing, and demands for proof of sustainability. The farmers of the region have welcomed the decision to use technology to better trace their products

The decreasing quality of cashmere in Mongolia, due in part to climate change

90 per cent of Mongolia is fragile dry land and under increasing threat of desertification, while the temperatures in China are, like much of the world, getting more extreme. Therefore, the impact of climate change on the environments where the goats graze are already under threat, making it more difficult to produce cashmere, before you even consider the increased demand

We would love to see a market where herders are rewarded for managing their herds sustainably and within the carrying capacity of their pasture, rather than rewarding herders with large herds and high yields that overgraze pasture and are at increased risk from dzud and climate change.

A perfect storm of factors is damaging Mongolia's grasslands, says Troy Sternberg, a researcher at the University of Oxford's School of Geography and the Environment in the United Kingdom. From 1940 to 2014, annual mean temperatures here have increased by 2.07°C, more than double the global average. Ten of the warmest years on record have occurred since 1997, while rainfall has decreased and seasonal weather patterns have shifted. This has exacerbated soil erosion, which has begun to alter the vegetation, a trend that projections show will intensify in the

With the climate issue we’ve got going on and such extreme weather, the goats are either in drought or are extremely cold as we take their incredibly warm fibres," Olivia Dowie, creative director of sustainable cashmere brand, Riley Studio explains. "The biggest issue is this destruction of their natural habitats that they live in. They don’t have enough grass to eat throughout the year and a lot of them are malnourished."

Scotland-based uses both Italian and Scottish sustainable cashmere, with tis fibres taken from the Hircus Goat from the China and the Mongolian uplands. “It’s very difficult to look after the herd in very extreme climate conditions during the winter, and the labour intensive procedures required to obtain a very limited amount of fibre,” says Alessandra Marchini-Gunn, Glenevan Mill’s founder. “To make one of our medium sized jumpers, we require around 300 to 400 grams of yarn which equals to the yield of two to three goats.” Climate change is a big threat to the process, too, because as temperatures rise, the goats are unable to produce those thick coats that lead to the best cashmere.

Bulgamaa Densambuu is a researcher for the Swiss-funded Green Gold project. It focuses on preventing overgrazing of Mongolian grasslands, what Densambuu calls rangelands. She recently completed a survey that found 65 percent of Mongolia's grasslands have been degraded due to overgrazing of cashmere goats and to climate change. But Densambuu hasn't lost hope.

This ancient way of life is now very much under threat. Nomads and scientists alike believe climate change is the biggest threat to pashmina production in the region.

climate change Climate change (as distinct from herder activity / overgrazing) leads to rangeland impoverishment and the loss of livestock through drought and extreme weather. Alternatively (or additionally) climate change results in lower-quality cashmere or lower productivity.