Market Sector Advisory Group, First Meeting 2023

Several brand representatives such as Schneider Group, Patagonia, Burberry, Alex Begg, Chanel, Esprit and representatives of Mongolia’s National Federation of Pasture Users Group and UK based Textile Exchange participated in the first Market Sector Advisory Meeting of 2023. Platform introduced its 2023 annual work plan to the brands. The platf...

Sustainable Cashmere Producer Awards

The Mongolian Sustainable Cashmere Platform is organizing a 'NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE CASHMERE DAY' for the first time to showcase and promote sustainable practices of the cashmere value chain in the country. In this regard, we are announcing Sustainable Cashmere Producer Awards among the national companies to identify best practices according to th...

High school students joined a tour to cashmere factories

Sustainable Cashmere Platform of UNDP in Mongolia in collaboration with the Wool and Cashmere Council of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Department of Light Industry Technology and Engineering Studies of the Mongolian University of Science and Technology jointly organized a tour to cashmere factories for the high school stu...

Cashmere factories joined experience sharing tour

Mongolian Sustainable Cashmere Platform of UNDP Mongolia in collaboration with Wool and Cashmere Council of the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized experience sharing tour among cashmere factories. 45 representatives from 18 cashmere factories such as Munkhbumuud LLC, Finewool LLC, Gobi-Erdene Cashmere LLC, Gobi LLC, Bu...

Why sustainable cashmere ?

The Challenge:

DEGRADATION

As many developing countries, Mongolia faces the challenge of balancing economic growth with environmental concerns. It is acknowledged that approximately 77% of its pasture land has been degraded and ¼ of the country has turned to desert. Poor production practices lead to negative environmental impacts.

Source: UNCCD Knowledge Hub

ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE:
77% of pastureland in Mongolia was degraded in 2015

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HERDERS LIVELIHOOD

The pasture degradation will inevitably jeopardize herders’ long-term livelihood since livestock forms the core source of their livelihoods with household income deriving from livestock products. The livestock sector output accounts for over 80% of the country’s agriculture output, employing close to 30% ot total workforce in the country.

SOCIAL CHALLENGE:
The livestock sector output accounts for over 80% of the country’s agriculture output, employing close to 30% ot total workforce in the country

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MARKET SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Over the past five years, there has been a rise in demand for sustainable cashmere, mostly driven by movements in other fibres, increased engagement in understanding and managing the sustainability impact of the fashion industry, and concerns about campaigns from animal rights groups around the use of animal fibres.

ECONOMIC CHALLENGE:
Mongolia is not yet ready to supply sustainable cashmere in volume. Mongolia is capable of producing over 9400 tons of cashmere with approximately 27 million goats. (www.nso.mn)

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THE SOLUTION:

Sustainable pasture management will ensure the nation’s long-term socioeconomic stability and resilience. Numerous NGOs, projects and intervention programs around “sustainable cashmere” are active in Mongolia to help address the issue but used different approaches and ways of measuring impact. This makes things difficult for buyers and brands to have clarity and confidence on what is the best approach to follow to ensure sourcing of cashmere is meeting their sustainability requirements.

UNDP Mongolia with the support of UNDP Green Commodities Program recognized the need to introduce sustainability measures into cashmere sector and initiated innovative Sustainable Cashmere Platform with the overarching objective to position Mongolia as a global leader for sustainable cashmere. But despite the progress made through standards and supply chain initiatives, weaknesses in the underlying enabling environment limit change at a larger scale.
Improving the enabling environments will increase the chances of sector-wide change to work towards sustainable production practices.

VOICES FROM THE FIELD:

In June 2019, the Conference “Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration for Systemic Change: The Case of Sustainable Cashmere” in Mongolia brought together 100 stakeholders from across the country’s Sustainable Cashmere value chain to sit in what is UNDP Green Commodities Programme’s latest multi-stakeholder initiative to create a space for all to gather and identify a common course of action. A conventional conference could have gathered civil society organizations, domestic industry groups and the government. However, representatives from leading global brands such as Gucci and H&M and the NGO Textile Exchange also joined the crowd, bringing a true multi-stakeholder approach to the conference. Textile Exchange, a global non-profit organization representing nearly 400 private sector member companies, amplified the voice of international buyers.

Things are moving fast in Mongolia. We celebrate a year of progress with a 10-minute throwback video to this very special first step.

Have a look and hear from the different voices in the field!

Mission

The Platform’s objectives are to ensure a strong and coherent legal and institutional framework for the sustainability of cashmere production in Mongolia and establish partnerships and coordinated investments and actions that accelerate current efforts to advance the sustainability of production and processing in Mongolia, which will enable it to be a global leader for sustainable cashmere production.