The List of Good Cashmere Standard Certified Spinning Mills

The Good Cashmere Standard® (GCS)

The Good Cashmere Standard® (GCS) is an independent standard for sustainable cashmere, developed by the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), that aims to improve the welfare of cashmere goats, the lives of farmers and farming communities, and the environment in which they live.

The Good Cashmere Standard was created to improve the welfare of cashmere goats with respect to the Five Freedoms as well as the economic, social and ecological conditions experienced by cashmere farmers, their families and communities in Inner Mongolia. The Standard lays out a clear and comprehensive set of criteria that govern all aspects of sustainable cashmere production. Regular checks are performed by independent auditors in order to monitor compliance with these criteria.

An exclusive raw material

Cashmere is an animal-hair fibre that is obtained from cashmere goats. The goats take their name from the Himalayan region of Kashmir from which the species originates. Cashmere is prized for its softness, lightness and its excellent insulating properties.

Where our cashmere comes from

Cashmere goats are farmed in a number of countries and regions throughout the world. The initial focus of The Good Cashmere Standard is on the cashmere farms of Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of northern China.

Implementation

International retailers and brands that are partners of The Good Cashmere Standard buy the raw material at world market prices and receive support to smoothly integrate sustainable cashmere into their textile value chains. At the end of the textile chain, the partner retailers or brands pay a nominal licence fee to the Aid by Trade Foundation. Income from licence fees is reinvested to benefit farmers, cashmere goats and support environmental protection in Inner Mongolia.

The Good Cashmere Standard is managed and owned by the Aid by Trade Foundation. The licence for the use of “The Good Cashmere Standard brand” is marketed exclusively by ATAKORA Fördergesellschaft GmbH (ATAKORA), which is furthermore responsible for supply chain management and business development.

Spinning Mills

A spinning mill (SM) purchases dehaired cashmere from a certified Good Cashmere Standard (GCS) source and processes it into yarn.

A spinning mill (SM) purchases dehaired cashmere from a certified Good Cashmere Standard (GCS) source and processes it into yarn. Every SM that wishes to register with GCS must fill in the GCS registration form, which includes acceptance of the GCS code of conduct. The form is available online or can be requested from GCS. Completed forms are kept on file by GCS for reference. The SM must pay a registration fee. An invoice for the current fee is issued by GCS. Each SM must present proof of its purchase of cashmere from a GCS certified source. The proof must contain the source’s name and the quantity of GCS cashmere. The SM will get access to CATS as soon as they are registered and have purchased cashmere from a certified source.

Retailers and Brands

In order to use our sustainable cashmere and labelling, retailers and brands must first conclude a licence agreement for The Good Cashmere Standard (GCS) with ATAKORA. Retailers and brands are required to pay a partnership fee for their membership as well as a volume-related licence fee that is based on the amount of textiles they wish to label with The Good Cashmere Standard. To create even more transparency throughout the textile supply chain, retailers and brands can request DNA-marking of The Good Cashmere wool for authentication purposes.

Make The Good Cashmere Standard part of your business

Sustainability, transparency and traceability – these are three increasingly important drivers for the purchase decisions of consumers across the globe. Stakeholders throughout the cashmere value chain need to respond to this growing consumer demand if they are to ensure their future success and want to drive positive change in cashmere production. The Good Cashmere Standard, an independent and voluntary standard for sustainable cashmere, enables enterprises and farmers within the cashmere industry to rise to this challenge.

Contact

Aid by Trade Foundation
C/o The Good Cashmere Standard®
[email protected]
Gurlittstraße 14
20099 Hamburg
Germany
E-mail address: [email protected]
Telephone: 040 – 25 76 755 – 0