Take a trip to the gobi desert region of southern Mongolia,

and you'll see vast expanses of arid land.

Endless, it's endless open space.

That's Miagmarjav Sertu, Miga for short.

She spoke to us from Mongolia's capital, Ulaan Bator.

You can see sunset. It's just like you watching sunset in the ocean. You can see the sand dunes and the camels, birds.

You can see something else, too. Goats. Lots and lots of goats.

The country is home to around 27 million of them.

They outnumber people 8 to 1.

These goats are critically important to the Mongolian economy and to the apparel industry.

That's because once a year, they produce a substantial share of the

world's cashmere. When you touch it, it's very soft. Some people say it's like a baby butt.

It used to be that you could only find cashmere in high-end clothes, like a $2,000 dollar

lorapiana turtleneck.

Today, it's everywhere.

Direct-to-consumer companies like Quince and Everlane sell $60 cashmere sweaters by the truckload.

That's good news for the folks in Mongolia who make a living raising goats.

Kashmir is a primary income source for herders.

They're also an important pillar of the country's economy.

But it's come at a cost.

For the Freakonomics Radio Network, this is the economics of everyday things.

I'm Zachary Crockett.

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