Follow us

Menu
PARTNER WITH USFREE NEWSLETTER
VISIT TheIndustry.beauty

Italy bans fur farming in landmark vote

Lauretta Roberts
21 December 2021

Italy has banned fur farming in a landmark vote that means all remaining mink farms in the country will be closed within the next six months.

The Budget Committee of the Italian Senate today voted to approve a modified version of an amendment to the budget law to implement the move, which followed discussions with animal protection organisation Humane Society International/Europe (HSI).

HSI presented practical, strategic solutions to close and convert fur farms into alternative, humane and sustainable businesses in its recent report "Mink breeding in Italy: Mapping and future perspectives."

The vote, which is expected to be ratified by Parliament before the end of the year, will make Italy the 16th country in Europe to ban fur farming. It comes after many of the country's most high profile fashion houses, including Gucci, Valentino, Armani, Prada and Versace, ceased the use of real fur in their collections.

Martina Pluda, director of Humane Society International in Italy, said: "This is an historic victory for animal protection in Italy, and HSI/Europe is immensely proud that our fur farm conversion strategy has played a central role in dismantling this cruel and dangerous industry in our country. There are very clear economic, environmental, public health and of course animal welfare reasons to close and ban fur farms.

"Today’s vote recognizes that allowing the mass breeding of wild animals for frivolous fur fashion represents a risk to both animals and people that can’t be justified by the limited economic benefits it offers to a small minority of people involved in this cruel industry. With so many designers, retailers and consumers going fur-free, conversion of fur farms offers people a sustainable future that the fur trade simply cannot provide.”

The amendment voted through includes an immediate ban on breeding of fur-bearing animals including mink, foxes, raccoon dogs and chinchillas, and the closure of all active fur farms in Italy by 30 June 2022, .as well as compensation for farmers, covered by a fund from the Ministry of Agriculture for a total of €3 million in 2022.

Fur farming was banned in the UK in 2022 and HSI, along with other campaigners, are pushing for the UK government to ban the sale of fur altogether. The sale of fur from certain endangered species, along with domestic dog and cat and seal fur, is already outlawed.

Pressure for other countries to ban fur has been increasing during the pandemic, due to outbreaks of COVID-19. As of December 2021, outbreaks of COVID-19 have been confirmed on 465 mink farms in 12 countries, including Italy (ten in Europe plus the United States and Canada). In February 2021, the European Food Standards Agency had reported that all mink farms should be considered at risk for COVID-19 outbreaks.

Free NewsletterVISIT TheIndustry.beauty
cross