Goats, grazing, and Gucci: Working at the intersection of fashion and conservation

Companies, government, and other decision-makers influencing the management of fragile ecosystems like the Gobi Desert are asking important questions like: how can we verify that grazing is sustainable? how can manage grazing to have a net positive impact on biodiversity, and can we prove it? And how do we tease apart the impacts of management change from other factors impacting rangeland health? Working with a mining company, a fashion conglomerate, and a wildlife organization, we are co-developing modeling tools for cashmere production that can support wildlife, enhance ecosystem services, and maintain herder livelihoods in the face of climate change.