Sustainable Cashmere, trilateral project

As part of our Sustainable Development Policy, GOBI JSC aims to bring Fully Traceable products to our customers to ensure responsibility and transparency at every stage of our supply chain. This goal starts from the first stage of our operation which is the collection of raw materials, the health of pastures and animals, and the satisfaction of herders. Therefore, in 2020, we started the “Sustainable Cashmere, Trilateral Joint Project” with local herders and the team of the Agricultural University. 

This project is ICONIC because outcomes are possible due to the strong bond between herds, corporations, and science. 

Project goals and outcomes:  

• We will improve the cashmere quality: the quality of raw materials will be improved by ensuring the health and well-being of animals, carrying out the breeding selection on a scientific basis, and introducing proper cashmere preparation practices to herders, which also has a positive effect on the quality of the final product.  
   

• We will fight desertification: The improvement of the quality of cashmere and cashmere preparation practices will open up opportunities for the herders to keep the number of animals constant and continue to earn income without exceeding the capacity of the pastures. It means that we intend to pay attention to the quality of raw materials, not the number of our goats.  
   

• The herders’ income will increase: Due to the improvement in the health of livestock, which is a source of income for Mongolian herders, there has been a positive result, not only in cashmere but also in increased milk yield, which is of great importance to increase their quality of life and annual income.  

   

Bucks used for breeding:

• Khuvsgul province – Erchmiin Khar buck
  Erchmiin Khar bucks have dark brown hair and long fine quality cashmere in dark, brown and gray colors, used for producing luxurious and organic products.

• Bayankhongor province – Zalaa Jinstiin Tsagaan buck
  Goat cashmere from the Zalaa Jinst breed is the main raw material in the production process, producing white, light and bright colors with high purity.

Within the scope of the project, in cooperation with 93 herders’ families of Khuvsgul and Bayankhongor provinces, breeding and selection work was carried out with about 200 bucks. GOBI JSC, in addition to financing the project, it conducts annual quality analysis of cashmere in its own laboratory and manages the project. In addition to the advantage of improving the composition of the goats and proper goat husbandry practices such as cashmere preparation practice, the herders participating in the project have started directly supplying the cashmere from their goats to the manufacturers at the market price.

In implementation of this project, which is expected to end in 2025, in addition to having created two “core flocks” in the Bayankhongor and Khuvsgol provinces. During this period of the project's implementation, the activities of organizing trainings for herders, disinfection and health services of livestock, and preparation for winter is done every year.