SFA – Sustainable Fibre Alliance (Sustainable Cashmere Standard)
The SFA aims to minimise the environmental impact of cashmere and other animal fibres, safeguard livelihoods and improve animal welfare standards from the end-to-end supply chain.
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SFA’s Sustainable Cashmere Standard
About the standard
The SFA standard is developed in 2015 as the world’s first holistic sustainability cashmere standard, it is well used in the textiles industry, with clients ranging from luxury brands to household names.
The standard is based on extensive research and consultation with key stakeholders from herder cooperatives and conservationists to industry experts and governments. Following ISEAL best practice guidelines, the codes of practice are regularly refined to ensure they remain rigorous and relevant.
The SFA certification follows a chain of custody model to provide traceability of cashmere from the herders in Mongolia and China all the way to the final product. The SFA standard is based on the Content Claim Standard by Textile Exchange, a standard supporting many other sustainability certifications and so adopted already by the industry.
Differences between SFA and SFP
The SFA Cashmere standard holds similarities to Control Union’s own Sustainable Fibre Programme (SFP), with the key differences being that the SFA Cashmere standard is focused specifically on Cashmere, whereas the SFP covers all animal based fibres, it is independently owned and it’s Code of Practice covers the fibre cleaning process.
More information about the SFP standard
How you benefit
The benefits of obtaining certification with Control Union
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Carry a credible sustainability mark developed with reference to ISEAL codes of good practice
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Support animal and herder welfare
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Protect the local environment in Mongolia or China where you source your cashmere
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Audit and certification processes are based on existing standards familiar to textiles companies
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Chain of custody certification offers full traceability
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Gain a premium for a sustainably and responsibly sourced product
Apply now for the SFA standard
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