Baby camel wool is the rarest fiber found in Mongolia. After some work in development and sourcing, our baby camel wool now compares almost directly to cashmere in softness at a more affordable price. As demand continues to increase in the future, I’m confident baby camel wool will become a larger portion of income for herders in the Gobi which these gorgeous Bactrian camels call home.

By working closely with herder cooperatives that are focused on development, we are able to implement programs that would be difficult without close communication. With the demand provided through our Kickstarter campaign and customers, we were able to start the first procurement of baby camel wool through our partners with the SCU (Sustainable Cashmere Union). This is real progress, with income from tonnes of fiber being sold that might have been wasted due to lack of markets or desire for processing and production. As people hear about our progress and see the fiber we produce, I have little doubt baby camel wool will increase in price in the coming years.

With the 20% market premium we pay for our fiber (cashmere and baby camel wool) the families that work with the SCU are able to invest in development projects to improve their communities. From increasing health care to business projects aimed at increasing and diversifying income sources, our partner cooperatives choose where to invest the premium under the project umbrella to fit their needs best.