Objectives and context

In 2016, TERO carried out a first mission on the sustainable cashmere program co-financed by the European Union and FFEM, implemented by AVSF. This new intervention brings support in particular to certification process for sustainable cashmere fiber produced by small farmers organized in cooperatives, in the province of Bayankhongor: definition and participatory validation of the certification criteria, implementation of cooperatives’ internal control systems, planning of the development of monitoring activities, internal control, external control.

The project has an original approach because it proposes a certification that values and checks the sustainability of practices linked with grazing and livestock at individual and collective levels (cooperatives and local pastoral organizations). It was also proposed to the different stakeholders in Mongolia to build together an external committee certification. The certification of two farmers' cooperatives was achieved at the end of 2017, and 5 cooperatives supported by AVSF will be certified at the end of 2018. This certification process permits to elevate exigencies in relation with other initiatives on sustainable animal fibers carried out by the industry, public authorities and cooperation programs.