TCF POST Special Report
The global fashion and apparel industry has taken a major step toward evidence-based sustainability with the publication of the first widely accessible Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for cashmere production.
The study, conducted by Textile Exchange in partnership with Integrity Ag, provides robust, harmonized datasets derived from direct engagement with 170 herders and farmers across Mongolia and China—the world’s two largest producers of cashmere.
For years, the industry relied on proxy data from other animal fibers, which often failed to account for the unique realities of cashmere production, such as specific fiber-to-meat ratios.
This study provides a critical, industry-first benchmark for the environmental footprint of cashmere by analyzing two primary production systems: nomadic grazing and farmed systems.
Key Market & Production Insights
- System Performance: The study found no significant difference in climate change impacts between nomadic and farmed systems when measured per kilogram of clean, dehaired cashmere.
- Production Drivers: Herd-level management practices and productivity—rather than the production system type alone—are the primary drivers of environmental impact.
- The “Dzud” Effect: Extreme winter weather events (dzuds in Mongolia) significantly increase environmental impacts per kilogram of product due to reduced herd productivity and higher animal mortality. The study utilized five-year averages to ensure temporal representativeness.
- Primary Processing: Impacts appear higher at the primary processing stage (scouring and dehairing) because this stage involves significant mass loss without the creation of co-products, concentrating the environmental footprint.
Environmental Impact Analysis
The primary production stage (the “farm stage”) is the largest contributor to most environmental indicators, including climate change, water use, ecotoxicity, and land use. The environmental impact data reveals a distinct trade-off between nomadic grazing and farmed production systems regarding land and water use:
- Land Use: Nomadic grazing systems demonstrate a higher impact per kilogram of cashmere produced. Conversely, farmed systems have a higher impact per hectare, largely due to their reliance on higher stocking densities and increased input intensity.
- Water Use: Nomadic systems are associated with a lower water impact per kilogram of cashmere. In contrast, farmed systems report a higher water impact per kilogram of product.
- Land Use Trade-offs: Nomadic systems generally occupy more land per kilogram of cashmere produced, whereas farmed systems utilize higher stocking densities and input intensities, leading to higher impacts per hectare.
- Soil Carbon: While soil organic carbon (SOC) loss was estimated using IPCC Tier 1 methodology, the results were highly uncertain, and researchers caution against attributing these losses solely to cashmere production, as climate-induced effects are difficult to disentangle from grazing impacts.
Fashion & Sustainability Considerations
- LCA+ Approach: Textile Exchange advocates for a holistic “LCA+” approach, which complements environmental data with a social assessment.
- Social Fabric: The study highlights that cashmere production is deeply tied to identity and community. Herders currently face significant pressures, including market volatility, climate shocks, and the complexity of integrating into certified, traceable supply chains.
- Recommendations: Long-term sustainability may be achieved by combining traditional grazing practices (at sustainable stocking rates) with interventions like improved winter nutrition. The study emphasizes that efficiency gains must be carefully managed to avoid shifting environmental impacts from one indicator to another (e.g., increasing resource intensity to lower emissions).
