Mink farming has been banned in 18 European countries following welfare evidence — yet the industry persists globally with practices that cause significant animal suffering.
Mink farming persists as one of the most intensively confined forms of animal agriculture, placing highly active, semi-aquatic predators in cages that deny nearly every natural behavior. The welfare evidence accumulated across decades of research is unambiguous: stereotypic behaviors, physiological stress indicators, and poor health outcomes all point to conditions fundamentally incompatible with mink welfare. The European ban trajectory reflects this welfare evidence being taken seriously by regulators. The challenge is that production has shifted to countries with weaker regulations, primarily China, where over 60% of global mink fur is now produced. Consumer decisions and industry commitments to eliminate fur from supply chains remain the primary levers for reducing this welfare harm.