page_title: Fur farming
section_title: Controversy
hierarchical_section_title: Fur farming / Controversy
caption_attribution_description: English: Worldwide laws regarding the legality of killing animals for fur &#160;&#160; Killing animals for fur is illegal &#160;&#160; Killing animals for fur is partially illegal1 &#160;&#160; Killing animals for fur is legal, but importing or selling fur is illegal &#160;&#160; Killing animals for fur is legal, but strict anti-cruelty regulations make fur farms uneconomic &#160;&#160; Killing animals for fur is legal and active &#160;&#160; Unknown 1some animals are excluded
context_page_description: Fur farming is the practice of breeding or raising certain types of animals for their fur.
  Fur used from animals caught in the wild is not considered farmed fur, and is instead known as "wild fur".
  Most of the world’s farmed fur is produced by European farmers. There are 5,000 fur farms in the EU, all located across 22 countries; these areas of production collectively account for 50% of the global production of farmed fur.
  The EU accounts for 63% of global mink production and 70% of fox production. Denmark is the leading mink-producing country, accounting for approximately 28% of world production. Other major producers include China, the Netherlands, Russia, and the U.S. Finland is the largest United States supplier of fox pelts.
  The United States is a major exporter of fur skins. Major export markets include China, Russia, Canada, and the EU. Exports to Asia as a share of total exports grew from 22% in 1998 to 47% in 2002.
  China is the largest importer of fur pelts in the world and the largest exporter of finished fur products.
  Fur farming is banned in Austria, Croatia, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic and Norway.
context_section_description: Anti-fur activists have claimed that methods used on fur farms are focused on maximizing profits at the expense of the welfare of fur producing animals.
  As with other types of animal farming, living conditions of animals vary, and extreme cases are of much contention. According to PETA, the majority of fur farmers pack animals into small cages, preventing them from taking more than a few steps back and forth. PETA claims foxes and other animals suffer as a result of the confined environment, and may even cannibalize each other as a reaction to their confinement.
  In other cases, as with passing of animal welfare legislation in Italy, animals are required to be given enriched living environments in which they can climb on branches, dig holes, use a nest of 50 × 50 cm and also have a water basin of at least 2 × 2 metres and 50 cm deep in which to swim.  Farmers argue that 50 years ago, the animals were kept in large outdoor holding areas, with pools of water. However, such farms resulted in high disease rates for the animals and were not practical.
  Farmers claim that today's farmed animals only know farm life as they have been domesticated through over 100 of years of selective breeding.
  The methods used for slaughtering the animals on farms and in the wild vary depending on the animal. For farmed mink, the American Veterinary Medical Association researches the best methods and publishes a report on the subject every 7 to 10 years. This report is used to guide state departments of agriculture which have jurisdiction over farm animals, including farm-raised mink. For those harvesting wild furs, biologists and wildlife managers dictate seasons, method of slaughter, and numbers of animals to be harvested.
caption: World laws on killing animals for fur.   Killing animals for fur is illegal   Killing animals for fur is partially illegal (some animals are excluded)   Killing animals for fur is legal, but importing or selling fur is illegal   Killing animals for fur is legal, but strict anti-cruelty regulations make fur farms uneconomic   Killing animals for fur is legal and active   Unknown
exif: {}