More Fibre, Fewer Animals: What Yak Could Mean for the Land

Mongolia’s rangelands support one of the largest livestock populations in the world, but they are also under increasing pressure. The country had about 57.6 million livestock at the end of 2024, of which goats made up 39.8%, or roughly 23 million animals. That number has fallen from the record levels seen before the 2023–2024 dzud, but goats still represent one of the largest parts of Mongolia’s herds. At the same time, around 70% of Mongolia’s pastureland is estimated to have been degraded to some extent through a combination of overgrazing and climate change.

This does not mean that cashmere itself is the problem. Cashmere is an important source of income for Mongolian herders and has supported rural communities for decades. The problem comes when the demand for cashmere encourages herders to keep increasing the number of goats because more goats can mean more fibre and therefore more potential income. When the number of animals exceeds what a pasture can support, the land does not have enough time to recover. Overgrazing is only one part of Mongolia’s land degradation problem, alongside climate change, drought, changing rainfall and pasture management, but livestock pressure is an important part of the equation.

This is where looking at fibre production per animal becomes interesting. A Mongolian yak can produce between about 1.31 and 1.75 kg of fibre when shorn in spring, according to an FAO study of yak production in Mongolia. That figure includes three different components: coarse outer hair, wool and down, so it should not be compared directly with cashmere yield. The valuable fine down is only part of the total. Still, the total amount of fibre produced by a yak is considerably larger than the amount of cashmere produced by a typical Mongolian goat.

Recent research gives us a better idea of how much cashmere Mongolian goats actually produce. A 2024 genetic study examining cashmere goats from different regions of Mongolia recorded average yields ranging from about 377 to 574 grams depending on region, sex and population. In the same study, goats aged five years or older averaged about 485 grams for females and 534 grams for males. These figures show why there is no single number that represents every Mongolian cashmere goat. Genetics, age, sex and location all make a difference.

That means we should be careful with claims such as “one yak produces exactly five times more usable fibre than one cashmere goat.” The comparison depends on what is being measured. A yak's 1.31–1.75 kg figure includes coarse hair as well as the fine fibre used for textiles, while a cashmere study normally measures the separated cashmere itself. If we compare total yak fibre with cashmere, the difference can be several times greater. If we compare only the finest usable fibres, the difference is much smaller and varies between animals. The important point is not a single multiplier. It is that different livestock species can provide different amounts and types of valuable fibre, and that matters when we think about how much livestock the land has to support.

There is another important part of the comparison: Mongolia does not have an unlimited amount of pasture. Rangelands make up more than 80% of the country’s territory, and they are the foundation of traditional livestock production. When livestock numbers rise faster than the productive capacity of the land, every additional animal adds to grazing pressure. Research and international development organizations have repeatedly identified excessive livestock numbers and overgrazing as major pressures on Mongolia’s rangelands.

Goats are particularly important to this discussion because cashmere has created a strong economic incentive to keep them. Mongolia’s goat population grew enormously during the expansion of the cashmere industry. UNCCD reports that Mongolia had around 24.6 million goats and that 4–8 goats are needed, on average, to provide enough fibre for one cashmere sweater. The same report estimates that around 70% of Mongolia’s pastureland has experienced some degree of degradation from the combined effects of climate change and overgrazing. Again, this does not make cashmere the enemy. It shows how a valuable product can create environmental pressure when production expands beyond what the landscape can sustainably support.

A different way of thinking about livestock production is therefore to ask not only “How many animals can we keep?” but also “How much value can we obtain from each animal?” If a herder can earn more from a smaller number of healthy, productive animals, there is less economic pressure to continually increase herd size. This is the basic idea behind shifting from quantity toward quality. It does not mean simply replacing goats with yaks, and it does not mean that every pasture is suitable for yaks. It means creating a more diverse livestock system in which the number and type of animals are better matched to the land.

Yaks are particularly interesting because they are already part of Mongolia’s traditional livestock system and are well adapted to cold, high-altitude environments. They can provide meat, milk and fibre, meaning their economic value does not depend on one product alone. Their fibre also has a combination of softness, warmth and durability that makes it suitable for high-value textile products. That creates an opportunity to increase the value obtained from animals that are already suited to parts of Mongolia’s rangelands rather than relying on ever-increasing numbers of a single species.

The distinction between quality and quantity becomes even more important when we look at what happens during difficult years. Mongolia’s 2023–2024 dzud killed millions of livestock, showing how vulnerable large herds can become when extreme weather arrives after periods of drought and limited pasture recovery. A 2025 study reported that 7.4 million livestock died during the first four months of 2024, including almost 2.4 million goats and nearly 4 million sheep. Climate change makes these shocks harder to predict and prepare for, while degraded pasture leaves animals with fewer resources when conditions become extreme.

Diversification cannot eliminate these risks, but it can change the calculation. A herd containing different species can make use of different resources and provide several products rather than depending entirely on one fibre market. More importantly, if higher-value products allow herders to earn more from each healthy animal, the economic reason for constantly increasing herd numbers becomes weaker. That is where the fibre industry can become part of the solution rather than simply being another source of pressure on the land.

The goal should not be to tell herders that goats are bad or that cashmere should disappear. Cashmere is an important part of Mongolia’s economy, culture and rural livelihoods. The goal is to make the system work better with the land that supports it. That means healthier animals, better fibre, higher value per animal, better pasture management and a livestock mix that does not place all of the pressure on one species.

Yak fibre is not a magic solution to Mongolia’s desertification problem. No single animal or fibre can be. But if a yak can provide a substantial amount of valuable fibre while also producing other useful products, it gives Mongolia another way to create value without relying entirely on increasing goat numbers. The bigger idea is simple: when income comes from the quality and value of what each animal produces rather than simply from having more animals, protecting the land can become part of the economic incentive.

Mongolia’s rangelands have supported herders for thousands of years. The challenge now is finding ways for modern markets to reward production that keeps those rangelands productive for the next thousand.