Natural fur is a sustainable material that offers a solution to fast fashion and other unsustainable practices and materials. The fur industry is a significant global industry that employs hundreds of thousands of people and is valued at around $30 billion annually. It has a vast supply chain that includes wild hunters in the Canadian tundra, auction houses in Copenhagen and Helsinki, finishing and dyeing factories in Italy and Greece, skilled furriers in design studios in New York, and boutiques and fashion houses in Paris and London. Bringing change and development to such a diverse and complex industry is not a simple task, but it is the right thing to do and is expected.

After much discussion, we realized that for the industry to progress toward a more sustainable future, it was important to establish a clear understanding of the current practices and create a comprehensive framework with specific goals.

The global fur industry has developed comprehensive programs and a clear direction for the industry and its supply chain to ensure animal welfare, environmental protection, and the well-being of the people and communities involved. These efforts are part of the industry’s initial sustainability strategy.

The International Fur Federation (IFF) launched the ‘Natural Fur’ strategy during London Fashion Week in February 2020, at an event held at the Danish Embassy in London. The fur industry’s future goals are based on the UN’s sustainable development goals, and the strategy includes global initiatives, interventions, and goals to improve sustainability.

The Natural Fur Strategy will consist of 3 key pillars and 8 main initiatives:

  1. WEALTH
  • The current strategy of the fur industry is centered around strict controls, standards, and audits. The industry launched FURMARK, which is a global certification and traceability scheme for animal welfare that includes a variety of breed-specific programs for farm-raised and wild fur. This provides transparency and visibility to consumers. In addition to animal welfare standards, FURMARK also measures and controls environmental targets such as emissions, chemical use, waste, and energy consumption.
  • By 2025, the fur industry is committed to adding more fur-bearing breeds and nation-specific programs to FURMARK while pertinent, independently assessed, science-based certification requirements are put into place.
  1. ENVIRONMENT
  • As part of the strategy, the industry will undertake independent, scientifically based assessments of the carbon footprint of farm-raised and wild furs. Following this, aggressive reduction objectives spanning ten years will be introduced.
  • The strategy requires the industry to implement a comprehensive chemical standard for dressing and dyeing, which will be supported by third-party auditing and verification.
  • The strategy connects the fur industry with initiatives that encourage the reuse, recycling, and repurposing of natural fur.
  1. PEOPLE
  • The strategy requires businesses in the fur industry to adopt globally recognized business practices, including anti-corruption policies.
  • The strategy must acknowledge the roles of supply chain workers, ensure anti-slavery commitments, and involve indigenous communities in fur production.
  • The strategy will be required to implement social and environmental certification through the FURMARK supply chain by 2025.