The phase-out of mink farming across Europe and beyond represents one of the most significant animal welfare policy victories in recent decades, with important lessons for how welfare-motivated change can succeed at a policy level.
Mink farming represents a clear case of a production system that cannot be reconciled with the welfare needs of the animals involved. Mink have not been domesticated in the same sense as dogs or cattle — they retain strong wild behavioural drives including swimming, hunting, and ranging, none of which can be met in battery cage systems. The welfare case against mink farming was made decades ago, and the persistence of the industry until recently reflects economic and political resistance rather than scientific uncertainty. The phase-outs achieved demonstrate that welfare-motivated policy change is possible and can be accelerated by external events and sustained advocacy.