Animal welfare and environmental programmes that are science-based, third-party certified, and transparent.
WelFur is the fur farm inspection and certification programme covering mink, fox, and Finnraccoon (Asiatic raccoon) in Europe. Assessments are performed by third party assessors and farms that fail to meet the strict standards are not included in the certification programme.
The USA has been certifying its farms with veterinarians since 1988 and is currently updating its standards in response to scientific advances and innovation.
Ensuring population and environmental sustainability is central to how wild fur is harvested in North America. The new Wild Fur Certification Protocol and its associated audit sit at the very heart of that work and adds to the range of pre-existing standards.
Swakara is the name of a specific breed of Karakul (high-quality lambskin) from Namibia. It is expected that, by 2020 auction houses selling Swakara will be able to issue a certificate to show it has met Furmark® requirements.
Moscow State Veterinary Academy has recently developed science-based regulations for keeping and breeding fur-farmed animals in Russia that meet European standards.
Dressers and dyers working with fur are committed to operating to the highest standards: that is why, under the Furmark® scheme, a new chemical standard has been developed with a third-party testing institute.