Through The Good Cashmere Standard® (GCS), the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) has been transforming cashmere production since 2020. In addition to its commitment to animal welfare, GCS distinguishes itself by providing a complete proof of origin and by undergoing regular checks by independent auditors.
Recently, GCS once again achieved excellent results in independent audits of cashmere farms and producers. They confirmed that high standards are being met for animal welfare, nature conservation, and working conditions in cashmere production. Market figures reflect similarly growing success: the share of textiles containing GCS-verified cashmere fibres increased by 30 percent between 2023 and 2024, and 6 million GCS-labelled garments were brought to market in 2024. In addition to long-term partners such as H&M, J.Crew, or The White Company, our newest partners include the companies Mango, Magasin, Marimekko, and Nordstrom.
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Accredited auditors regularly verify whether participating cashmere farms and producers are meeting The Good Cashmere Standard’s 150 indicators, which provide clear guidelines for keeping and shearing goats, protecting biodiversity and soil, and maintaining decent working conditions. Nearly 3,700 cashmere farms as well as twelve cashmere producers passed their verifications. They are the only ones allowed to market cashmere fibres under The Good Cashmere Standard’s certificate for the current season. Overall, the verified GCS goat farmers and cashmere producers both meet 100 percent of the core indicators; in addition, it has been independently verified that they are meeting more than 90 percent of the main and basic indicators for which AbTF expects ongoing improvement.
“For our partners and for us, this result unequivocally confirms that our close and trusting working relationship supports them in integrating the demanding requirements of The Good Cashmere Standard into their daily routines with the cashmere goats and into the further processing of the fibres. It also proves that our partners attach great importance to meeting the criteria of the GCS standard,” says Gudrun Kersten, verification manager at the Aid by Trade Foundation.
Tina Stridde, the managing director of AbTF, adds, “The sustainability standard has proven to be highly attractive for fashion brands and textile companies worldwide, thanks to the strict enforcement of our requirements and to our focus on transparency. This enables seamless traceability from the end product back to the raw material. The high demand for the verified cashmere fibres and the strong verification results confirm that the path we have chosen is the right one.”
This year’s verification requirements were demanding, with the rejection rate for farms, for instance, coming to around 30 percent. The verifications check compliance with all regulations under the standard’s four pillars: animal welfare, environmental protection, decent working conditions, and fundamental management requirements. The results reveal full compliance with social standards and environmental protection. For instance, every single farm and producer met 100 percent of requirements regarding working hours, the employee complaint mechanism, and occupational health and safety measures. When it comes to animal welfare and management, the compliance rate is 92 percent; the corresponding figure was even higher in the domain of feeding, where all regulations were complied with, reflecting an improvement of 15 percent.
In another positive development, 88 percent of all farms are implementing the requirements for rotational grazing, thereby making an important contribution to fighting soil erosion. AbTF sees potential for improvement in how carefully documentation is completed and in how much space in the stables is available for the animals in the event of need. GCS places great weight on the animals being given sufficient space through access to pasture and to yards directly attached to the stables.
Source: AbTF