Fur farming bans have been implemented across much of Europe on animal welfare grounds, with mink, foxes and chinchillas previously farmed in conditions causing severe welfare harm now protected in multiple countries.
Fur farming bans represent some of the most clear-cut animal welfare policy victories of recent decades. The welfare case against fur farming is compelling: the animals farmed for fur — mink, foxes, raccoon dogs — are wild-natured species whose needs for space, natural behaviour and appropriate environments are completely incompatible with cage farming conditions. The result is endemic stereotypic behaviour, self-mutilation and reduced lifespan in virtually all fur farm animals. Countries that have banned fur farming have demonstrated that economic transition is achievable and that welfare-positive alternatives exist. The campaign for global fur farming bans continues, targeting countries in which the industry persists.