Many of the fur products sold in the U.S. are manufactured in China, including one of the new fur products our investigator found for sale at Furs By Lafayette on Santee Street in Los Angeles. Earlier this month, we released our undercover investigation of five fur farms in northern China, the source of most of the world’s fur. Footage showed foxes, raccoon dogs and mink pacing their cages frantically, a repetitive behavior associated with mental decline, and filthy, feces-encrusted cages packed so close together that the risk of zoonotic disease spread was nearly palpable.
China is still the largest fur-producing country in the world, but demand for fur is rapidly declining. Animal welfare and environmental concerns have led to a 50% drop in Chinese fur production from 2022 to 2023 and a decline of almost 90% during the period 2014 to 2023, according to industry data. This is in line with downward trends in fur production globally. Fur production in the U.S. has also sharply dropped in recent years.
Before its ban, California had the highest fur sales in the country, according to federal data, which is why the passage of a law prohibiting fur sales was such a positive step forward for animals. Before the statewide fur sales ban passed, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley and West Hollywood passed similar local bans on the sale of fur. Today, an additional 10 communities across the country have also enacted fur sales bans and many more are currently considering similar bans. Israel became the first country to ban fur sales in 2021.
Many of fashion’s biggest names went fur-free following the passage of the fur prohibition in California, including Canada Goose, Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. These brands and retailers see the writing on the wall, that the end of the fur trade is near.
If your city hasn’t ended new fur sales yet, check out our fur-free toolkit, which is a step-by-step guide that shows you how you can help usher in a fur-free future in your city.
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