Category: Himalayas

Inspiring the next generation of pashmina entrepreneurs

Fibre-to-fabric skills, regenerative business thinking and youth leadership were on the agenda in a recent enterprise and skills incubator for young people in the Changthang region.

The 10-day residential workshop brought together 11 young participants aged 18-31 from the Changthang region of Ladakh to build confidence in pashmina skills and entrepreneurial abilities, as well as strengthen pride in being Changpa.

The region is historically linked with pastoral livelihoods, especially pashmina goat rearing. However, in recent decades, younger generations have increasingly moved away from traditional livelihoods due to climate change and livelihood challenges, limited economic exposure, a perceived lack of dignity in pastoral work, and weak local enterprise ecosystems.

The future-oriented workshop aimed to change this, introducing the next generation to the economic, ecological and cultural significance of pashmina.

With a blend of studio practice, immersive field visits, enterprise labs and youth leadership sessions, participants learned practical skills in fibre handling, spinning, basic weaving/knitting and product prototyping. They also explored product and market positioning, branding/storytelling and digital entrepreneurship, as well as community-based business models and youth leadership. Another important strand focused on understanding Changthang’s pastoral landscape, rangeland ecology and climate change.

The hope is to seed a small but committed group of young regenerative entrepreneurs, innovators and rangeland stewards in Ladakh’s highland economy, equipped with the practical skills and regenerative enterprise mindset to build a sustainable future in the region.

New research from our Himalayan Regenerative Fashion Living Lab partners Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) explores how Changpa herders think about resilience and adaptation.

The Changpa have historically practiced nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoralism on the Changthang plateau in eastern Ladakh, within a complex web of human, animal and landscape relationships. Climate change and livelihood diversification are rapidly reshaping land use, rangeland ecology, patterns of mobility and local adaptation responses.

Surveys and ethnographic fieldwork last year in Changthang aimed to find out how Changpa herders think about and implement resilience and everyday adaptation. Results show that resilience is not merely understood as absorbing shock and recovering – but as a place-based and dynamic process of living with uncertainty.

“Rather than a spectacular response to crisis, resilience here is the slow work of everyday life.

Modernity and tradition, hardship and hope, change and care get woven together as communities adapt and respond, and as livelihoods diversify into new domains. Many forms of knowledge and ways of being coexist and inform pastoral life in Changthang. Herders continue to move, to renegotiate obligations, to remain in relation because there is, quite simply, no alternative to doing so. Transience is an essential condition of life here, as ubiquitous as the landscape itself. Flocks will continue to thin and grow, younger generations will leave and maybe, return, monasteries will call new gatherings for rain and the language people use to understand climate and change will continue to evolve.”

Researcher Sidak Kaur

A key finding from the research is the critical gap between on the ground, relational practices and external interventions. Co-produced, place-based adaptation pathways should be used that build on, rather than displace existing pastoral capacities and knowledge systems. The NCF team continues to build on this work, and the research provides clear ongoing directions for the CBA Living Lab.

The research was presented at the “Pastoralism in India: Changes and Continuity” Conference held in IIT Hyderabad in May 2026, and a book chapter and academic paper is forthcoming.

Flagship initiatives supported by the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) presented to The King  

The Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), founded by His Majesty King Charles III in 2020 when he was Prince of Wales, convened members of its Fashion Task Force on 12 March at Buckingham Palace to brief His Majesty on major progress across flagship projects advancing regenerative fashion and traceability through Digital Product Passports (DPP).

Taking place on the second day of the SMI’s Roundtables & Exhibition – concurrently taking place at Hampton Court Palace – the meeting with His Majesty covered results from the Himalayan Regenerative Fashion Living Lab, developed by the SMI Fashion Task Force in partnership with Brunello Cucinelli and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA).

Regenerative Himalayan cashmere scarves were displayed for guests as part of the Hampton Court Exhibition, alongside on-the-ground footage of the regenerative and community projects from inception to delivery, focusing on ecological recovery, livestock productivity and income stability for Himalayan communities – especially women and youth.

The Task Force also provided an update to His Majesty on the Apulia Regenerative Cotton Project, launched in June 2023 to introduce agroforestry-based cotton production in Italy. Led by the Fashion Task Force, the Armani Group and guided by the CBA, the project delivered measurable gains in soil carbon and biodiversity across the site. During the convening, the Task Force showcased the Armani DPP to guarantee authenticity and traceability and HModa presented its organic and regenerative cotton cultivation project in Apulia.

Federico Marchetti, Chair of SMI Fashion Task Force, commented: “I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the CEOs of the Fashion Task Force and their teams, as well as to the SMI and CBA, for the dedication they have shown over the past five years since the Task Force was established. Their collective efforts have enabled us to achieve remarkable, innovative and measurable results, which we had the honour of presenting today at Buckingham Palace to HM The King, who has always encouraged me to turn ideas into action. These results demonstrate to the entire industry the path forward. Fashion has always been an industry of creativity and reinvention: with collaboration and innovation, we can turn sustainability into the next great chapter of luxury.”

Marc Palahí, CEO of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, commented: “I am very proud of the progress which has resulted from the collaboration between the SMI Fashion Taskforce led by Federico Marchetti and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance. The pioneering Living Labs in the Himalayas and Italy show what is possible when you blend business commitment, science and local knowledge, placing nature at the heart of our economy and creating a practical, scalable blueprint for the future.” 

Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO of Sustainable Markets Initiative, said: “The progress showcased today demonstrates the commitment and capability of the SMI and its members to deliver practical, scalable solutions for the sustainable transition. These flagship projects showcase how industry, science and communities can come together to rethink fashion’s global impact, highlighting the link between craftsmanship, environmental stewardship and traceability. With leaders across sectors gathering today at the SMI Roundtables & Exhibition, we have an opportunity to accelerate this progress and inspire others to join us in building a resilient future that positions Nature, People and Planet at its heart.”

The SMI Fashion Task Force brings together leaders from global brands, platforms, and retailers to accelerate Nature-positive solutions and turn ambition into real-world action through collaboration. With a combined revenue of over £24 billion, the Task Force includes Armani Group, Aura, Brunello Cucinelli, Burberry, Chloè, Emaar, HModa, Johnstons of Elgin, Mulberry, OTB, Prada Group, Puig, Stella McCartney and Textile Exchange.

Photo: Rob Cadman

We are happy to officially launch our web page for the CBA Living Lab 2.0 on Himalayan Regenerative Fashion.

This Living Lab aims to support herder communities to produce regenerative pashmina – fibre that is not only of exceptional quality but also nurtures the land and the people who depend on it.

In the remote high-altitude plateau of Changthang in the Himalayas, pashmina production is more than a tradition – it is the heartbeat of local life. For centuries, the nomadic Changpa herders have relied on the fine wool of the Changthangi goat for mobility, craftsmanship and cultural identity. In this harsh environment, where agriculture is limited, the herding, combing and weaving of pashmina is central to community livelihoods and preserves an ancient heritage that links community, culture and the fragile mountain ecosystem.

In 2022, a feasibility study identified two key challenges: limited access to fodder crops and increasing youth out-migration, leading to a loss of traditional knowledge. In response, the 2023 pilot phase (Living Lab 1.0) prioritised fodder security, youth engagement and entrepreneurship development, laying the groundwork for long-term resilience of the landscape and also the rural economy. Building on the pilot phase, the second phase of the Living Lab started in 2025.

This Living Lab has been established by the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA), with the support of the Brunello Cucinelli Casa di Moda, together with the Sustainable Markets Initiative and in collaboration with the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), the Thiksay Foundation, and the Ladakh Council of India.

Find out more: https://circularbioeconomyalliance.org/himalayan-regenerative-fashion-living-lab/