// Italy votes to ban fur farming and shut down mink farms
// The decision still requires final approval by the Italian Parliament, however this is expected to go through by the year’s end
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 voted yesterday 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).
The amendments included 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 June 30, 2022, and compensation for farmers, covered by a fund from the Ministry of Agriculture for a total of 3 million euros in 2022.
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This comes after animal protection organisation Humane Society International/Europe 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 decision still requires final approval by the Italian Parliament, however, this is expected to go through by the year’s end, making Italy the 16th country in Europe to ban fur farming.
Various luxury designers have already gone fur-free including Valentino, Armani, Gucci, Prada and Versace in recent years.
Martina Pluda, director of Humane Society International in Italy, said in a statement: “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 recognises 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.”
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.
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