Welfare and Conservation, Fast Facts. International Fur Trade Federation (IFTF) for Fur Fashion, Fur Style, Fur Trade News & much more fur Information from IFTF

Fur is a natural product, based on the sustainable use of renewable resources.

Fur farming

Is well regulated under international, national or regional laws and guidelines.
Is an established, natural part of the agricultural sector in many countries.
Provides high standards of care for animal health and animal welfare.
Is a valuable link in the food and recycling chain.
Provides an efficient use of 647,000 tonnes of animal by-products each year from the fishing and meat industries in the EU alone.
Provides manure for organic fertiliser.
Mink provides fat for hypoallergenic soaps and hair products.

Wild fur

Represents about 15% of the world's trade in fur.
National and international regulations ensure that only nature's surplus enters the fur trade each year.
No endangered species are used.
Trapping is highly regulated.
An international Agreement is in place between the EU and the main wild fur producing countries to ensure that only the most humane trapping systems are used.

Economics

Over 1 million people are employed full-time in the fur trade worldwide.
Fur sales worldwide totalled some US$ 11.7 billion in 2003/04.
Nearly 117,000 enterprises exist worldwide ñ retailers, dressers, brokers, etc.
In Denmark, fur farming was worth Euro 514 million in 2002, the countryís third largest export after bacon and cheese.
In Finland, the annual fur production value is Euro 250 million, greater than that of beef, with over 50% of fur farmers relying on fur farming as their sole source of income.
In Canada, the fur trade contributes Can$ 800 million to the Canadian economy, employing over 75,000 Canadians in total.
In USA, the value of the fur industry at retail level was US$ 1.8 billion in 2003/4. There are more than 100 manufacturers of fur garments and nearly 1,400 retail outlets of finished fur garments.
Hong Kong is the worldís largest importer of farmed fur skins and remains the leading exporter of fur garments to the value of more than US$ 320 million annually.
In Russia, the value of the fur trade is over US$ 2.5 billion, contributing around 0.6% ñ 0.8% of the turnover of all consumer goods.
In the UK, fur brokers are responsible for buying the majority of the worldís fur traded at raw or wholesale level, with a turnover of some US$ 750 million per annum.

Animal welfare and conservation

Over the last 20 years, the IFTF alone has contributed more than US$ 5 million in support of a wide range of animal welfare and conservation projects.
The European fur sector and national governments spent over Euro 1.6 million in 1999 on fur farming research.
European fur farmers helped to establish the Fur Animal Welfare Research Committee (FAWRC) in 1999, which reports to the Council of Europeís Standing Committee on farm animal welfare.
The European Fur Breeders Association (EFBA) has its own Code of Practice, which incorporates the Council of Europe recommendations, with its own further ìbest practiceî.
North American fur breeders have Codes of Practice that include recommended methods of care from birth to death of mink and foxes.
The IFTF is a voting member of the World Conservation Union and supports the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Public opinion

In the USA, 86% of Americans support an individualís freedom to choose whether to wear fur. (1996)
69% of Finnish people have a positive attitude to fur farming. (1998)
In the UK, 62% of people consider that it is environmentally sound to use natural fibres such as wool, silk, fur and leather. (2000)
71% of Dutch people agree with the statement, ìit makes in principle no difference for what reason you keep animals as long as you take care of their welfareî. (2000)
67% of Dutch people believe individuals should have a free choice to wear fur. (2000)
67% of Scottish people strongly agree with the statement ìin principle, I find it acceptable that animals are kept on farms for any purpose, provided there is good animal welfare.î (2001)
68% of Canadians know that the fur trade helps to support the livelihoods and cultures of people living in close harmony with the land. (2001)
In Norway, two thirds of people support fur farming (Sentio Norsk statistikk/Nationen). (2003)