Aid by Trade Foundation Expands ARAWA Animal Welfare Assessments Under The Good Cashmere Standard®

Pilot project grows from 72 to 100 farms in 2025, with further expansion planned through 2027

The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) has announced the continuation of its Animal-related Animal Welfare Assessment (ARAWA) project for 2025, running alongside the independent verifications of The Good Cashmere Standard® (GCS).

The ARAWA assessments provide a comprehensive overview of the health status of herds on audited farms, extending beyond conventional verification procedures. Designed to identify non-conformities while offering a broader understanding of herd well-being, the assessments remain relatively uncommon within the standards sector due to their complexity. AbTF plans to continue and further expand the programme through 2027.

Focus on Animal Welfare Outcomes

While The Good Cashmere Standard continues to require key criteria such as adequate feed availability, good health, and suitable habitats for goats, it also places emphasis on ensuring animals experience positive welfare outcomes.

ARAWA assessments examine whether the resources provided on farms result in improved animal welfare. The assessment indicators are directly linked to the Five Domains of animal welfare, providing additional insights into the well-being of cashmere goats.

Programme Expanded Across Farms and Regions

The scope of the pilot programme increased significantly in 2025. Compared with 2024, the number of audited farms grew by 39 percent, expanding from 72 farms to 100 farms.

The project also widened its regional coverage from 3 to 9 regions in Inner Mongolia, while the number of assessed cashmere goats increased from 2,024 to 2,298. The Aid by Trade Foundation plans to continue gradually increasing the number of participating farms through 2027.

Statement from The Good Cashmere Standard

Marvin Heuduck, Head of The Good Cashmere Standard at the Aid by Trade Foundation, said:

"By deciding to fundamentally integrate ARAWA into our processes, GCS goes beyond the usual standard criteria for assessing animal welfare," says Marvin Heuduck, Head of The Good Cashmere Standard at the Aid by Trade Foundation, adding: "We are pleased that the current results confirm the good work on the GCS verified farms. From these results, we can gain new valuable information with which we will further develop animal welfare aspects according to regional and seasonal particularities and in close cooperation with herders and cashmere producers."

Assessment Findings

The ARAWA framework currently evaluates eight specific parameters covering nutrition, environment, health, and land management to assess the living conditions of cashmere goats.

The assessments are conducted independently. Based on the data collected, the general health status of the animals assessed was classified as "good," with no signs of underlying health problems identified.