Rising global demand for cheap cashmere sweaters has directly led to the desertification of massive portions of the Mongolian steppes because cashmere goats eat grass by ripping it out by the roots.

A closer look

Rising global demand for cheap cashmere sweaters has directly led to the desertification of massive portions of the Mongolian steppes because cashmere goats eat grass by ripping it out by the roots. As fast fashion brands push to sell affordable luxury to Western consumers who want to feel rich at a discount, herds have expanded massively, destroying the delicate ecosystem and turning grasslands into dust bowls. So that incredibly soft, twenty-dollar sweater you bought on sale is literally contributing to the creation of a new desert and the destruction of nomadic herding cultures. It is a perfect micro-example of modern global economics, casually destroying an entire biome thousands of miles away just so we can layer comfortably for autumn