The Good Cashmere Standard broadens animal welfare assessments across Inner Mongolia farms
Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is continuing its Animal-related Animal Welfare Assessment (ARAWA) project for a second consecutive year in 2025 alongside independent verifications under The Good Cashmere Standard (GCS).
According to the organisation, ARAWA assessments are designed to provide a broader evaluation of herd health and animal welfare conditions on audited farms, extending beyond standard verification procedures. The assessments aim to identify non-conformities and offer a wider overview of herd well-being.
Aid by Trade Foundation stated that the project will continue through 2027 with a planned expansion in the number of participating farms.
Under The Good Cashmere Standard, animal welfare measures include criteria such as feed availability, animal health and habitat suitability. The ARAWA assessments additionally examine whether these resources contribute to positive welfare outcomes for goats.
The indicators used in the assessments are linked to the Five Domains framework for animal welfare. In 2025, the number of audited farms increased by 39 percent compared to 2024. Since the pilot launch in 2024, the project has expanded from 72 farms to 100 assessed farms, covering 3 to 9 regions in Inner Mongolia and increasing the number of assessed cashmere goats from 2,024 to 2,298.
Marvin Heuduck said: “By deciding to fundamentally integrate ARAWA into our processes, GCS goes beyond the usual standard criteria for assessing animal welfare. We are pleased that the current results confirm the good work on the GCS verified farms. From these results, we can gain new valuable information with which we will further develop animal welfare aspects according to regional and seasonal particularities and in close cooperation with herders and cashmere producers.”
The organisation stated that eight assessment parameters are currently used to evaluate nutrition, environmental conditions, health and land management practices affecting cashmere goats. The reviews are conducted independently.
Based on the collected data, the overall health condition of the animals assessed under the project was classified as “good,” with no signs of underlying health problems reported.
