Cashmere - John Lewis to fund sustainable cashmere programme 04 March 2021 John Lewis is to fund the training of 420 herders as part of a three-year sustainable cashmere programme writes Caroline Wadham on Drapers Online. Baby cashmere goat The programme, run by the Sustainable Fibre Alliance (SFA), will support the expansion of the Alliance’s new cashmere standard from Mongolia to the Inner Mongolia region of China. The SFA developed the standard to promote best practice in land management, animal welfare, fibre processing and supply chain transparency to help secure the long-term viability of the cashmere sector. The retailer is funding the training of 420 herders in Inner Mongolia on the global standard which will be provided by animal welfare NGO, the International Cooperation Committee of Animal Welfare, alongside experts from a local agricultural university.