Fur is Not Worth the Hype

By Max Pohlman

Courbet Fox Caught in a Trap | Gustave Courbet (1819–1877) | commons.wikimedia.org

Humans have used fur for over 120,000 years. Even though we have evolved and created a plethora of fabrics to fit every lifestyle, we still use the skin of non-human animals for decoration and fashion. Using non-human animals' fur harms humans, other animals, and the environment. With the vast array of fabric options we have today, wearing non-human animal skins is unnecessary and irresponsible.
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Over 100,000,000 non-human animals are killed each year in the fashion industry alone. Their furs are used for anything from coats to clothing trim. Some of the most common non-human animals used are minks, foxes, chinchillas, lynxes, raccoon dogs, coyotes, beavers, wolves, rabbits, and leopards. Whether caught by traps or farmed, these non-human animals experience immense suffering. 

Farming Cruelty

The methods of farming non-human animals for their fur is cruel and causes mass amounts of suffering. Fur factory farms make up 85% of a $20.1 billion fur industry as of 2021. Even though they claim their practices are humane, their main priority is profit, as shown in their treatment of non-human animals. Non-human animals are crammed into tiny, wired cages inside huge dark barns or lined up outside. In one example from Russia, 2,000 non-human animals were kept in 700 cages, all in one shed.  During their lives, the animals who are kept on fur farms barely have enough space to walk much less run, swim, or nest. Many display signs of stereotypical behavior resulting from stress, such as walking around in circles, nodding their heads. Many go insane and will mutilate themselves or cannibalize their cage mates. If kept in a barn, the ammonia produced from their excrement will burn their eyes and lungs. If kept outside, they have no shelter from the elements. 

Due to the cramped, inhumane conditions on fur farms, parasites and diseases run rampant. During the pandemic, these conditions were brought to the forefront. The Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Italy, and the United States of America all have reported cases of the SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 variant in minks farmed for their fur. In Denmark, this variant started spreading to humans, and in an attempt to stop the spread, they killed 17 million mink. In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that places that farmed mink for their fur posed a COVID-19 risk to humans. ​

Photo by Nom d'util on Flickr

​Animals used for fur are also treated inhumanely when they are killed and skinned. To avoid damaging their coat, non-human animals experience prolonged and painful deaths through electrocution or gassing. Investigations have shown that on many occasions, they may also be beaten to death or skinned alive.

Trapping is Torture

The other way non-human animals' fur is obtained is through trapping. Trapping is known for inflicting so much pain that non-human animals who become trapped will gnaw off their limbs to escape. They are stuck in the trap for hours to days, unable to find shelter, food, or water. They cannot even protect themselves from predators. There have been many documented torturous ways of killing trapped non-human animals, but most claim to shoot, stomp, or beat them. The USA, Canada, and Russia are the leading countries that trap non-human animals for fur. In 2018, almost 3 million non-human animals were killed for their fur in North America alone. One additional problem with trapping is that it can trap unintended non-human animals like pets or endangered animals. Unfortunately, there are no federal humane slaughter laws to protect these non-human animals from suffering. However, some countries and states have started to place restrictions and bans. 

Environmental Consequences

The fur industry also has negative impacts on the environment. Multiple studies have shown that fur farming damages nearby ecosystems by introducing excess nutrients into rivers and lakes. This is called eutrophication, and it can cause a multitude of problems, like poor water quality, taste, and odor issues, high algal biomass, an increase of toxic algal blooms, and water column oxygen depletion, resulting in decomposing organic matter. These problems can lead to loss of habitats and the death of fresh water and land organisms. Fur farms produce a lot of waste. U.S. mink farms alone produce millions of pounds of feces annually.  In Washington state, mink farms polluted nearby creeks with over 240 times the legal limit of fecal coliform. In Nova Scotia, the degradation of water quality has been linked to mink farm pollution, raising the level of ammonia, orthophosphate, nitrate, phosphorus, potassium, and mercury. These chemicals can also pollute the atmosphere. Farming non-human animals for fur also attracts sea birds who carry these metals and chemicals to distant ecosystems. If waste is not managed correctly, eutrophication will continue, and we risk permanently damaging our water and ecosystems. 

Photo of Woman Covered with Brown Fur Coat | Photo by croft alexander on Pexels

Fur products are more wasteful than any other non-animal alternative. After non-human animals are killed and skinned, their skin is treated with many chemicals to make it a durable material. They use different salts, ammonia, formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and other chromates and bleaching agents. The World Bank has ranked this process as one of the world's five worst industries for toxic metal pollution and when combining all the work and materials, a fur coat has 3 to 10 times more negative environmental impacts than a faux fur coat. Faux fur, artificial or fake fur, is a bunch of fabrics put together to feel and look like real fur. The fibers used are warm, durable, and versatile. They are used for anything real fur can be used for. 

This article from Good On You discusses fur alternatives, sustainable clothing, and places to purchase these items. One alternative discussed is GACHA, a 100% biodegradable and compostable material. Fashion week events have banned the use of fur, and so has 69% of luxury brands. Some brands that have been a part of this ban are Gucci, Michael Kors, Versace, Stella McCartney, Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, House of Fluff, and Ralph Luren. Companies are continuing to invent and improve fabrics that appeal to consumers. Supporting brands that don’t exploit non-human animals will encourage brands to invest more resources into sustainable and efficient clothing options.
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Along with businesses, governments are also straying away from fur. Austria, the Netherlands, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, Norway, Serbia, Slovenia, and several other countries have banned fur farming, and 27 other countries have taken steps to regulate and discourage the practice. In 2021, Israel became the first country to ban real fur sales. In the United States, California became the first state to ban the sale of fur in 2019, with 14 towns and cities following. All of this has decreased the value of the fur industry by $9 billion from 2017 to 2021. If the turn away from fur continues, more innovative and sustainable alternatives will be created, and non-human animals won't be killed for clothes and fashion. 

References

Evans , Rachael. “Which Materials Will Keep You Warmest This Winter? The Answer May Surprise You.” ABC Everyday, ABC Everyday, 22 June 2022, www.abc.net.au/everyday/warmest-materials-fabrics-winter-clothing/101155486 

“Fur Farms.” PETA, PETA, www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/fur/fur-farms/. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.

Humane Society International, www.hsi.org/. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.

Håkansson, Emma. “Is Fur in Fashion Ethical or Sustainable?” Good On You, 21 Nov. 2022, goodonyou.eco/how-ethical-is-fur/.

“Inside the Fur Industry: Factory Farms.” PETA, www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/animals-used-clothing-factsheets/inside-fur-industry-factory-farms/. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.

Kissinger, Jennifer A., et al. “Tracking pollution from fur farms using forensic paleolimnology.” Environmental Pollution, vol. 335, 15 Oct. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122307.
Libera, N., et al. “Before and after mink fur farming: Water chemistry and sedimentary diatom assemblages in lakes from southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada.” Lake and Reservoir Management, vol. 40, no. 1, 2 Jan. 2024, pp. 18–35, https://doi.org/10.1080/10402381.2024.2306639.

OKAFOR, JENNIFER. “What Is Faux Fur Fabric? Sustainability, Pros, and Cons.” TRVST, 23 Sept. 2023, www.trvst.world/sustainable-living/fashion/faux-fur-fabric-sustainability/.

“SARS-COV-2 in Animals Used for Fur Farming: Glews+ Risk Assessment, 20 January 2021.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/publications-detail-redirect/WHO-2019-nCoV-fur-farming-risk-assessment-2021.1. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.

Srinidhi , Madurai K. “Fur, Faux and Foe; Animal Rights, Laws, and Ethics in the Fashion Industry.” Fashion Law Journal, 29 May 2023, fashionlawjournal.com/fur-faux-and-foe-animal-rights-laws-and-ethics-in-the-fashion-industry/.

Stone, Kristin. “The Fur Trade.” Humane Society International, 27 Oct. 2023, www.hsi.org/news-resources/fur-trade/.

University of Massachusetts Amherst. "New textile unravels warmth-trapping secrets of polar bear fur." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 10 April 2023. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/04/230410111625.htm>.
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“Wool, Fur, and Leather: Hazardous to the Environment.” PETA, www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/animals-used-clothing-factsheets/wool-fur-leather-hazardous-environment/. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.

Author

Max is a Junior at Minnesota State University, Mankato majoring in psychology and minoring in sociology. When he isn’t working towards his goals, he enjoys listening and playing music, kayaking, crafting, hanging out with his cat and dogs, and trying new things.