The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is expanding its Animal-related Animal Welfare Assessment (ARAWA) programme under The Good Cashmere Standard (GCS) following the successful results of a pilot project. The initiative was introduced to provide a more detailed and practical evaluation of animal welfare on GCS-verified cashmere farms in Inner Mongolia.

The ARAWA methodology examines whether the management practices and resources available on farms result in positive and measurable animal welfare outcomes. The assessment is based on the internationally recognised Five Domains model of animal welfare and focuses on key areas such as nutrition, environment, health, and land management.

Independent assessments carried out through the programme found that the overall health condition of animals on the participating farms was good. The evaluations did not identify any signs of major underlying health issues among the assessed goats.

Marvin Heuduck, Head of The Good Cashmere Standard at the Aid by Trade Foundation, said that integrating ARAWA into the organisation’s processes allows GCS to move beyond traditional animal welfare assessment methods. He noted that the results confirm the positive work being carried out on GCS-verified farms and provide valuable information that can help further improve animal welfare practices. He added that future developments will take into account regional and seasonal conditions while continuing close collaboration with herders and cashmere producers.