what_is_bmoa
What is British Mohair Origin Assured?
British Mohair Origin Assured is your guarantee that the mohair you are buying is of the highest quality and produced by Angora Goats lovingly raised on small family owned farms in the UK in an ethical and sustainable manner. The raw fibre is then processed by SEAL, one of the remaining specialist mills in West Yorkshire for supply to spinners, weavers and other purchasers. Thanks to years of careful breeding the quality of mohair produced by British Angora goats is second to none.
We live in a world where authenticity, provenance, quality, environmental and ethical concerns are increasingly important to discerning consumers. And when it comes to natural products like Mohair, adherence to the highest ethical and animal welfare standards is essential.
The small size of UK Angora flocks means they are as far away from factory farming as it is possible to be. Animal welfare standards in the UK are high in comparison with other parts of the world, but Origin Assured producers are guided by the latest animal welfare standards embodied in the “Five Domains Model“, the latest iteration of the original “Five Freedoms Model” released in the 1960’s. It takes into account the advances in our understanding of animal behaviour to consider the feelings and mental state of the animal and stresses the importance of positive animal-human interactions to enable a “life worth living” for the animals.
Since Angora goats will continue to produce mohair throughout their lives, the Origin Assured program encourages animals to be allowed to live out their natural life on the farm.
British Mohair Marketing, a mutual society established to support British Mohair producers, introduced the “Origin Assured” program to showcase how mohair produced here in Britain leads the way in all of these critical attributes.
British Mohair Marketing manages a tightly integrated supply chain that maintains the provenance and authenticity of the product from farm to fibre. The mohair never leaves Britain throughout processing, ensuring a luxury product with a low environmental impact that is both ethical and sustainable and respects and supports the established heritage of British Industry and small scale farming.
As the largest producer of mohair in the world South Africa has now replaced Bradford (West Yorkshire) as the epicentre of global mohair trading. But sending British produced raw mohair half way across the world, only to bring it back again makes no sense in a world where there are growing concerns over environmental impact, authenticity and local provenance. With the “Origin Assured” program, the Mohair comes solely from Angora goats raised here in Britain. The raw fibre is collected and delivered in bulk to be processed by our exclusive commercial processing partner at one of the few remaining specialist mills in Bradford. The Mohair is kept distinct from fibre sourced from elsewhere before finding its way to other specialist manufacturers who value the unique heritage and authenticity of this luxury product .
Goats are by nature browsers rather than grazers and love nothing better than foraging through rough ground or hedgerows for a variety of food. All Origin Assured producers allow access to natural grazing whenever weather conditions permit to ensure that the animals can exhibit their natural behaviours in the open air but still have free access to shelter when weather conditions take a turn for the worse. At the same time the goats are allowed to maintain their strong social bonds across family groups.
All farmers understand the importance of managing the soil, the crops and the natural features of their landscape. Goats can play an important secondary role in conservation grazing of rough ground, assisting farmers to meet their obligations towards sustainable farming and regenerative agriculture.
Whether you are buying yarn, fabrics or finished products from our processing partners, or finished products from some of our producers who are also “on farm” processors, “Origin Assured” is your guarantee of quality, authenticity and provenance.
The British Mohair Origin Assured symbol is your guarantee that the product you are buying is of the highest quality, sustainably sourced, locally produced and processed in limited quantities from Angora goats lovingly raised in an ethical and responsible manner on small family owned farms here in Britain.