The push for transparency in the cashmere industry is moving from brand commitments to enforceable audit tools. In 2025, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) and Animal Welfare Assessment (ARAWA) conducted their second consecutive parallel assessment on farms certified under The Good Cashmere Standard (GCS). This signals that conventional supply chain audits are no longer sufficient to address buyer concerns about animal welfare.
Assessment Dimension Upgrade
The breakthrough of ARAWA assessments lies in their focus on the actual health status of the herd, rather than just paperwork or infrastructure. Evaluators quantify indicators such as body condition, coat quality, hoof health, and parasite infection rates. This animal-centric approach exposes gaps in husbandry that traditional file audits often miss.
For cashmere-producing regions in Inner Mongolia and Mongolia, this means farms must invest more in veterinary records, stocking density control, and seasonal nutrition management. Previously, some farms relied on basic GCS certification to enter international brand procurement lists. Now, the results of parallel ARAWA assessments could directly impact order continuity.
Implications for Buyers
European luxury brands and high-end retailers are shifting ethical sourcing requirements from 'recommended' to 'mandatory.' The second consecutive year of parallel assessments in 2025 indicates that GCS system members—including Stella McCartney and Ralph Lauren—have accepted animal welfare scores as part of supplier performance evaluations.
Buyers must face the reality that the supply of ARAWA-compliant cashmere will not increase significantly in the short term, as farm upgrades require a 1-2 year investment cycle. This may further widen the procurement premium for high-certification cashmere. Industry data shows that GCS-certified cashmere already commands a 10-15% price premium over conventional cashmere; with ARAWA parallel assessments, this premium could rise by an additional 5-8 percentage points.
Operational Impact on the Supply Chain
From farms to spinning mills, fabric suppliers, and garment factories, every link must recalibrate its record-keeping systems. ARAWA assessments require farms to provide at least 12 consecutive months of veterinary visit records, feed source documentation, and herd turnover ledgers. For small and medium-sized farms, this is not just a cost increase but a test of digitalization capabilities.
Spinning mills and fabric suppliers, when sourcing raw materials, should proactively request dual GCS and ARAWA assessment reports from suppliers. If any 'yellow' or 'red' warning items appear, downstream factories should consider backup suppliers to avoid order cancellations due to compliance issues.