What Is the Responsible Mohair Standard?
The Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS) certifies angora goat farms on animal welfare, land management and working conditions, then tracks the mohair from the farm to the finished product. After the farm, it checks chain of custody only. Textile Exchange is folding it into its new Materials Matter Standard.
What RMS checks
- Goat welfare, including nutrition, living environment, animal management, handling and transport
- Shearing done by, or under the direct supervision of, a competent shearer
- Land management on the farm, including soil, biodiversity, fertilizers and pesticides
- Working conditions for farm workers
- Chain of custody from farm to product, with transaction certificates
What RMS doesn’t cover
- Scouring, dyeing and finishing. Sites after the farm are audited for chain of custody only.
- Chemical residue in the finished product
- Recycled mohair, which can't be RMS certified
- Slaughter sites, which are optional
How to check a RMS certificate
An RMS claim has to show the RMS logo, the brand's license number or TE-ID, and its certification body.
- Find the number. It's printed with the logo and the certifier's name.
- Search it. Enter it in Textile Exchange's Find a Certified Company tool, filter by RMS, and check that the certificate is valid.
RMS questions
Does an RMS label mean all the mohair is certified?
Any virgin mohair has to be RMS certified. The only other mohair allowed is recycled mohair certified to RCS or GRS. Products can carry the claim from 5% RMS mohair, and the label states the percentage unless it's 100%.
What happens to RMS with Materials Matter?
Farms can be audited to the new Materials Matter Standard from December 31, 2026, it's mandatory from December 31, 2027, and remaining RMS certificates end by March 31, 2029.
Does RMS cover how mohair is dyed?
No. After the farm, RMS only tracks the fiber. For dyes and finishes, look for a separate chemical standard like OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 or GOTS.