Mongolei

Mongolia Nomadic By Nature

A Film by Kurt W. Oehlscläger and Oyuntuya Oayunjargal

On behalf of Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism
and Tourism for Future NGO of Mongolia

Amara
Film und Fernsehproduktion GmbH
 

For a better quality of life

With our sustainable and exquisite products made from natural fibres and genuine leather from Mongolia we want to offer to you alternatives to fast fashion and synthetic fibers. 

Jointly with our partners from the nomadic herder families up to small and medium sized processors and manufacturers in Mongolia and together with you we can improve the quality of life for all of us.

Be curious and decide for the green, innovative and exclusive products of Mongolian Green Labels.

Treasures from the Mongolian steppes

The distant country Mongolia is the home of partly unknown natural treasures, including the rarest and most valuable animal fibers in the world: yak hair from the high mountain ranges, baby camel hair from the Gobi desert as well as cashmere and wool from goats and sheep all over the country.

The hides of yaks from the mountain ranges, of cattle, goats and sheep are tanned carefully and partly with vegetable tanning processes and are processed by the leather industry with its 80 years of experience into exquisite bags and other stylish leather products.

Yak hair

The cattle-like but peculiar yaks graze in the highest mountain ranges in ecological niches, which are not accessible to other types of animals. Extremely rare among the 600,000 yaks are the grey animals, which can only be found in Mongolia.

The nomadic herder families comb out the yak hair in spring in traditional ways manually and without harm for the animals.

Important natural properties of yak hair are its insulation ability and its resistance to moisture and odours.

Baby camel hair

Only a few years ago it was discovered that the combed under-hair of one year old so called baby camels with its diameter of 15-16 mikron equals goat cashmere regarding fineness, softness and insulation abilities.

During the hair change in spring the nomadic families comb the one-year old camels in traditional way manually and without harm to the animals.

Environment friendly and from highest quality baby camel hair is the optimal alternative to cashmere. Be surprised !

Cashmere

Mongolia’s endless steppes and mountain ranges are the habitat of about 30 million cashmere goats, which are the most important livestock for the nomadic herder families. Through the sale of the valuable cashmere they provide the main share of the cash income which the herders need to sustain their livelihood. To withstand the very cold winters the goats grow cashmere fibers as their finest under hair. Before these fibers with a diameter of only about 15 microns are shed anyway in spring, they are combed out by the nomadic herder families in a careful and gentle manner.

Being the most valuable asset of the nomads, the families treat their goats with greatest care. Mongolia is the world's second largest producer of raw cashmere and the companies there have long experience in processing the delicate cashmere fibres.

Sheep wool

Mongolia’s endless steppes are the habitat of about 32 million sheep. They are very important livestock for the nomadic herder families, providing the main share of the needed meat as well as wool which is worked into felt covers for their gers (yurts). The Mongolian sheep with their typical large fat tail withstand the harsh climate with cold winters and hot summers as well as partly poor pastures. They are not threatened by fly transmitted parasitic infections which plague the sheep population in other large wool producing countries.

In the early summer herders shear their sheep carefully and by hand and sell the wool through their cooperatives to the Mongolian textile industry. This wool is ideally suited for making of felt products and carpets. With their over 80 years of experience the manufacturers have also master the skills to dehair the wool up to ten times and to produce comfortable, warming and soft textiles such as plaids and socks.

Transparency and traceability

Nomadic herders, processors and manufacturers are united in the “Mongolian Yak and Baby Camel Hair Export Cluster”. Jointly with the also participating governmental bodies and scientic institutions this collaborative group supports the introduction of the new products from yak and baby camel hair into the world market.

As a buyer you not only enjoy highly valuable and exclusive products but you also contribute to maintaining the existence of herds of yaks and camels, of their natural habitat and of the livelihood of the nomadic herder families in Mongolia.

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