A new article about fur farming has been published in the journal, Frontiers in Animal Science. The article, One health implications of fur farming, summarizes existing literature around fur farming, focusing on the problems inherent in fur farming related to animal welfare, public health, and environmental concerns.
This is an essential article to gain an understanding about the impacts of fur farming. The authors conducted six literature reviews to summarize research related to fur farming since 2010. The following topics were covered in this article:
- Species of animals farmed and region (15 species of animals are farmed for their fur in 19 countries)
- Animal welfare issues (16 categories of animal welfare concerns have been identified)
- Zoonotic and cross-species infections associated with fur farmed animals (At least 18 reported pathogens and diseases with zoonotic and cross-species implications)
- Four primary categories of concern related to fur farming and the environment:
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- Environmental impacts of invasive species by country (nutria, mink, muskrat, raccoon dog, raccoon)
- Toxic chemicals used in fur processing
- Eutrophication on bodies of water near fur farms
This comprehensive review of existing literature on fur farming highlights the significant and serious problems of this sector. These problems range from the sector’s negative impacts on animals, public health, and the environment, highlighting the importance of tackling fur farming through a One Health lens.
The authors make six recommendations based on their literature review. Of note is a recommendation for a complete prohibition on fur farming as it relates to the inherent animal welfare issues associated with fur farming. We encourage our supporters to read and share this article to those interested in ending fur farming in Canada.
This research is a significant contribution to the body of knowledge around fur farming. The Fur-Bearers would like to express our thanks to the authors for citing our work in this article.
