The GCS, which was established by the non-profit Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), uses a set of 150 indicators to evaluate compliance.
Accredited auditors regularly carry out these checks across all participating farms and production sites.
In the most recent cycle, nearly 3,700 cashmere farms and 12 producers were subject to GCS’s auditing process. Only those who passed are permitted to sell their fibres with the GCS certificate for the current season.
Between 2023 and 2024, the proportion of textiles containing GCS-certified cashmere increased by 30%. In total, six million garments bearing the GCS label entered the market last year.
Several established international retailers have maintained their status as long-term partners in the programme, including H&M, J.Crew and The White Company. Mango, Magasin, Marimekko, and Nordstrom joined as new partners.
The audit results showed that 100% of the core indicators were met by those verified. Compliance also exceeded 90% for both main and basic indicators, where AbTF anticipates seeing ongoing improvement.
The latest figures indicate that on issues of working hours, employee complaint mechanisms, and occupational health and safety, every farm and producer audited reached full compliance.
AbTF verification manager Gudrun Kersten said: “For our partners and for us, this result unequivocally confirms that our close and trusting working relationship supports them in integrating the demanding requirements of The Good Cashmere Standard into their daily routines with the cashmere goats and into the further processing of the fibres. It also proves that our partners attach great importance to meeting the criteria of the GCS standard.”
Verification under the GCS is structured around four main pillars, which are animal welfare, environmental protection, decent working conditions, and fundamental management requirements.
According to AbTF’s reporting, about 30% of farms did not pass the verification process this year. Among those that did meet the standard, social standards and environmental protection were areas of complete compliance.
Regarding animal welfare and management measures specifically, the compliance rate was recorded at 92%. The audits found that when it came to feeding regulations for goats, all requirements were met, marking an improvement of 15%.
Additionally, the environmental audit revealed that 88% of all certified farms had implemented rotational grazing practices to reduce soil erosion.
AbTF indicated that documentation processes and provisions for animals needing additional indoor space could be improved.
Cashmere itself is an animal fibre collected from goats native to the Himalayan region of Kashmir. The fibre has been used in the production of high-quality garments and accessories.
Cashmere goats are raised in various countries and regions globally, but the GCS initially centres its efforts on cashmere farms located in Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region in northern China.
In February this year, the GCS opened its third model farm in Inner Mongolia to bolster sustainable practices within the cashmere industry.
