Environment and health

The production of fur imposes significant adverse impacts on both the environment and human health. Far from being a natural resource, fur production is an intensely toxic and energy-consumptive process, with pelts being dipped in toxic chemical soups and animal waste runoff from fur factory farms polluting soil and waterways.

Just as animal agriculture, the keeping of thousands of animals on fur farms has a severe ecological footprint, as it requires land, water, feed, energy and other resources. Several European advertising standards committees have ruled that advertising fur as environmentally friendly is “false and misleading.”

Local pollution

The local impact of fur farms leads to the degradation of land, rural life, property values and economic activities. Plus, waste runoff seeps into soil and waterways, causing severe damage to local ecosystems.

Biodiversity loss

The injuring and killing of non-target animals by body-gripping traps pose a severe threat to endangered species. Also, escaped predatory animals from fur farms cause a decrease of local biodiversity.

Toxics in fur

The hazardous toxics used in the process of conserving, bleaching and dying pelts, pose an overall threat to the health of consumers wearing the products and to workers in fur processing plants.

Climate impact

Energy is consumed at every stage of fur production. Similar to other types of agriculture, fur factory farms emit large quantities of greenhouse gasses, while burning fossil fuels and other resources.

  • Joshua Katcher, Prof. at Parsons School of Fashion, NY

    “Fur is simply bad design. It’s stuck in the past, it needs to be slowly grown from the body of an animal, preserved in toxic chemicals and kept cool in the heat so it doesn’t decompose or get devoured by insects, as nature intended it to.”

  • Joh Vinding, Chairman Fur Free Alliance

    "It is frightening that clothing made for children may contain as many toxic chemicals - I do not think there are many parents who are aware of this. The best thing anyone can do to protect themselves is obviously to avoid fur."

  • Rufin Bostyn (67), resident of Flanders, Belgium (2013)

    "I might not have protested a small mink farm, but this mammut will make the area unliveable. We can not tolerate it."

  • Marco Gobetti, CEO Burberry

    "I don’t think it is compatible with modern luxury and with the environment in which we live."

  • Dr J. de Boer, Prof. Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology, Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam

    “The alarming levels of toxics found in the fur trims of infant jackets justify stringent measures to seriously limit or prohibit the use of these chemicals in the preparation of fur products.”

  • LUKE - Natural Resources Institute, Finland

    “The carbon footprint of a mink skin is almost equal to the daily footprint of an average Finnish consumer, and the footprint of a fox skin is approximately three days’ worth. The footprints of fur alternatives are much smaller.”

Latest news

  • Fur industry in Bulgaria loses court case against mink ban

    SOFIA, 1 JULY 2024 - The Adm

    Exposed: massive bird flu cull on Finnish fur farms sparks pandemic concerns

    FINLAND, AUGUST 29 — New photos reveal poor biosecurity measures a

    Bulgaria bans breeding and import of American mink

    UPDATE: On 5 August 2022 the ban was suspended by the Bulgarian Supreme Administrative Court due to

  • Israel becomes world’s first country to ban fur sales

    ISRAEL, JUNE 2021 - In a historic decision, Israel introduces a ban on the sales of animal furs, mak

    Spanish citizens protest mink fur farm in Santa Maria de Alameda

    SPAIN, 20 AUGUST 2020 - Last Saturday, Spanish citizens took the streets in Santa Maria de Alameda t

    Fur Industry “WelFur” scheme criticized by veterinarians for masking animal suffering and condemned as “cynical PR spin” by animal campaigners

    BRUSSELS, 21 JANUARY 2020 - A fur industry animal welfare certification scheme being