The technical committee of Textile Standardization (ISO/TC 38/WG 33) is developing international standards for animal welfare in the production, preparation, labeling, and traceability of cashmere beginning from 2024. The initial version of the standards covered animal welfare issues related to cashmere goats kept in production housing in China. The Mongolian Government and the Ministry of Agriculture and Light Industry initiated a working group to add standards pertaining to the welfare of cashmere goats kept in grazing production systems in Mongolia.
The first meeting was conducted in Milan, Italy. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Mongolian Ministry of Agriculture and Light Industry, Mongolian National Federation of Pasture User Groups, Mongolian Agency for Standard and Meteorology, Mongolian Wool and Cashmere Association and, and other livestock and rangeland scientists who shared their opinions. The next meeting was set to occur in Mongolia to present special features of the Mongolian nomadic grazing livestock system to the international technical committee members.
The visit of the international ISO commitee was successfully organized by the Aimag Federation of Pasture User Groups of Khuvsgul, the Food and Agricultural Department of Khuvsgul province, the Governors House of Alag-Erdene soum, Jinst-murun and Leader cashmere LLC in Khuvsgul province.
The ISO/TC 38/WG 33 meeting involved international cashmere on July 17th and 18th, 2024 in the conference hall of the Ministry of Agriculture and Light Industry. Technical committee members, delegates, and experts discussed animal welfare standards for cashmere production for both the housing production system used in China and the nomadic grazing system used in Mongolia. Two separate chapters for standards were produced to represent each method of raising cashmere goats, because the nomadic grazing system is very different from the goat housing production system and requires a completely different set of standards.
We would like to thank the following organizations, scientists, and researchers who participated in the development of the above standards. With their intelligence, experience, and effort, the meeting was successful and cashmere production animal welfare standards that support Mongolia’s traditional nomadic grazing system were accepted.
- Ministry of Agriculture and Light Industry,
- Mongolian Agency for Standard and Metrology,
- Mongolian National Federation of Pasture User Groups,
- Mongolia Wool and Cashmere Association,
- Production-Technological school for MUST,
- Research Institure for Livestock Husbandry,
- Mongolian Commodity Exchange,
- Aimag Governor House of Khuvsgul province,
- Aimag Federation Pasture User Group in Khuvsgul
- Fod and Agricultural Department of Khuvsgul
- Veterinary and Animal breeding department of Khuvsgul province,
- Alag-Erdene soum Governor House in Khuvsgul province,
- “Erkhel hurs” pasture user’s group,
- Herders in Yargis baght of Alag-Erdene,
- “Jinst Murun” LLC in Khuvsgul priovince,
- Leader cashmere LLC in Khuvsgul priovince,
