The clothing brand Naadam is trying to get away with calling the cashmere it sells “responsible” and “without cruelty.” But as long as the company uses cashmere made from goats, it’s just engaging in another “humane washing” marketing scheme.

Don’t believe @NaadamCashmere's humane washing.
@PETAAsia's undercover investigation into the cashmere industry in China & Mongolia—the world’s top exporters—revealed goats screaming in pain as workers tore their hair out with sharp metal combs. pic.twitter.com/d7JivcJmHO

— PETA (@peta) December 4, 2022

There’s No Cruelty-Free Way to Exploit Goats for Cashmere

PETA sent a letter to Naadam, calling on it to stop trying to deceive customers into thinking that cashmere obtained from gentle goats could ever be “cruelty-free.” To produce cashmere, workers typically pin goats to the ground, bind their legs, and tear out their hair with sharp metal combs.

Goats’ fight-or-flight instinct is deeply ingrained. In the cashmere industry, during these highly stressful and often painful combing procedures, goats often cry out and desperately try to free themselves. Finally, when they’re no longer profitable, they’re sent to slaughterhouses, where it’s common practice for workers to hit them over the head with a hammer and slit their throats.

This terrifying and violent ordeal isn’t considered ‘cruelty-free’ or ‘without cruelty’ by any reasonable consumer, PETA’s letter states.

Naadam’s Misleading Claims

Naadam is trying to pull the cashmere over shoppers’ eyes with several misleading claims, including the following:

• “Responsible and cruelty-free. From hand combing to providing veterinary care, we promote ethical conditions for the animals behind our raw materials.”
• “We treat our goats the way we want to be treated: responsibly, with love, and without cruelty.”

The Federal Trade Commission Act prohibits unfair methods of competition, which include false and misleading advertising. By specifically including these representations in its marketing, Naadam clearly recognizes that consumers value animal welfare and that, at a minimum, goats shouldn’t be subjected to cruelty.

Yet cruelty is inherent in cashmere production, from the combing process to the slaughter of the animals. Therefore, claims that cashmere is “cruelty-free” or “without cruelty” are false and likely to mislead ordinary consumers.

Help Goats Used by the Cashmere Industry

If you see a company engaging in false advertising, politely inform its leadership or customer service that if a product’s not vegan, its production involves violence against animals. Urge the company to remove the misleading marketing immediately and to sell only vegan materials. Check out PETA’s guide to compassionate fashion to keep your closet cruelty-free: