Fur is a non-essential luxury item. It is one of the least consumer-supported animal derived materials and there is a strong worldwide opposition to fur sales. The publics long-standing opposition to fur farming and the changed ethical perception of animals have led an increasing number of countries to legislate against fur farming and have also led to a plethora of fur-free businesses in recent years.

Over the past years an increasing number of fashion houses stepped away from using real fur. This trend is not only evident in well-known large department stores and high street brands, but fortunately also in the luxury segment. 

• Iconic names such as Armani, Burberry, Gucci, Prada and Versace are fur-free for several years now. 
• Labels to make the change in 2021/2022 include Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Brioni, Canada Goose, Dolce & Gabbana, Moncler, Oscar de la Renta, Saint Laurent and Valentino! 
• And on top of this, end of 2021 the international fashion magazine Elle pledged to go fur-free. This applies to all 45 editions worldwide and means that the magazine will no longer show editorial content  promoting animal fur on its pages, images and online channels. This also applies to advertisements placed with Elle.

The shift towards fur free fashion with more and more designers turning their backs on the fur industry is also reflected in the declining fur production figures. The numbers plummeted even further due to devastating COVID-19 outbreaks on mink farms in Europe and North America, and the realisation that fur farming poses an enormous health risk to humans. 

The worldwide number of animals killed on fur farms has fallen from around 95 million in 2018, to 76 million in 2019 to about 56 million in 2020. In the EU, this decline is also reflected in the decrease in farm numbers: the number of active mink farms has dropped from 4350 in 2018, to 2800 in 2019, to 759 in 2020.

A further decline is expected for future figures because in 2021 alone, Estonia, France and Italy have adopted bans on fur farming and similar regulations are under discussion in other countries. In March 2022, Ireland became the most recent country to ban fur farming. Find out more about fur bans in Europe.

Elsewhere, Israel became the first country in the world to ban fur sales. While in the USA, major cities have instituted bans on fur sales, with other cities following suit and introducing similar bills, for instance New York City. California became the first US state to ban fur, and more states are getting on board, including Connecticut, Hawaii, Oregon, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.

Back home, in Australia, there is an absence of laws on fur sale and use but we are seeing local councils within NSW respond, with six councils to date advancing motions to investigate and implement bans on fur and exotic products.

After investigations revealed real fur being deceptively sold as faux in NSW and Victoria, FOUR PAWS is working with the Animal Justice Party to urge both NSW and Victoria to lead the way by enacting bans on fur sales, accompanied by information standards on labelling and testing mechanisms. Read our recommendations in our latest investigation report on "Frightening Reality of Fur" for more information.