Cashmere (the material made from goat hair) apparently requires particular conditions to grow, and this may mean we don’t have enough of it soon. In Mongolia, where most of the best cashmere is taken from the goats, the problem is it’s been too cold the last two winters (under 50 below zero). So there isn’t enough food to feed both the animals and the herdsmen. Add to this the problem that the recession has reduced the price so low that they can’t turn a profit selling it. So, they’ve been slaughtering the goats and eating them instead. Add to this the problem that other places where cashmere is produced (Iran and Afghanistan) have had too warm of winters recently so the goats aren’t producing the necessary thickness of hair. So, none of the normal places fall into the environmental zone needed (plus the recession), and it looks like there may be a global cashmere shortage, not to mention that it’s bad for the shepherds! No big lesson here. I just thought it was fascinating.
No comments:
Post a Comment