If you weren't aware, roughly 90 percent of the world's cashmere is produced in Asia from goats that grow the most luxurious coats. Then, the coats are shaved and made into high-end garments that spread all over the world.
It sounds like a pretty easy process, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, the fashion world's thirst to feel cozy in cashmere is threatening the biodiversity of the Asian continent. The Wildlife Conversation Society reports that the demand for cashmere is running out the native gazelle, antelope, yak, and more that call the region home.
The cause behind this dilemma is not only the increased demand in cashmere, but how it effects farmers to over-herd the goats—which puts a strain on the rest of the animals in the ecosystem. Now, the goats are living in places they aren't native to, and are facing threats from predatory animals, while they overun the food sources for other livestock and animals.
We don't expect people to stop wearing cashmere anytime soon. If you can pay for it, then who's to tell you what to wear? But, as years go on, it should be interesting to see how the continent's biodiversity shapes out.
[via WCS]
