The fur trade launched a new 'Fur is Green' campaign, developed in-house by the FCC, at Montreal NAFFEM fur trade exhibit and seminar in late April.

In addition, the industry launched a pioneering 'Origin Assured' label, produced by the International Fur Trade Federation and a new 'Beautifully Canadian' label, to identify and provide added value for Canadian-made fur apparel, in response to fierce competition from off-shore producers.

"Growing consumer interest in ecological and social responsibility gives us an excellent opportunity to tell a part of the fur trade story that is rarely heard," says Alan Herscovici, the FCC's executive vice-president.

With fur omnipresent on international catwalks and pelt prices at record levels, $100 million orders were expected to be placed at the 26th NAFFEM, Canada’s most important fashion industry event and the only show of its kind in North America, specializing in fur, leather and other luxury outerwear.

The fur trade contributes more than $800 million to the Canadian economy annually, and provides income to some 65,000 people, including aboriginal and other Canadians living in some of the most remote regions of the country. Total Canadian fur exports topped $380 million in 2007.

Worldwide, fur apparel sales passed the $15 billion mark during the winter of 2006-2007, up 11% from the previous year - the eighth consecutive increase since the IFTF began tracking global retail fur sales in 1998-1999. (These statistics do not include mass market or fur-trimmed articles sold in fashion or department stores.)

Driven by a renewed interest in traditional fashion centres and improved economic conditions in emerging markets, farmed mink and other fur prices hit record levels at European and North American fur auctions this Spring.

“It is fashion and new techniques for making fur more versatile and lightweight that are driving demand," says Paula Lishman, designer and Fur Council president. "Many young people are looking at fur for the first time and know very little about the product. We want them to know that they can wear fur with confidence.

“The extraordinary warmth and beauty of fur will always be its main appeal, but we would like to remind people that fur is also an ecologically responsible choice – because it is a long-lasting, natural, sustainable and biodegradable material."

The recently formed Canadian Aboriginal Design Council presented contemporary fashion using natural materials and themes that reflect their traditional, land-based heritage during NAFFEM.

“When we buy fur, we support people who live close to the land,” says Lishman. “They care about nature because they live in it and earn their livelihood from it. They are the first to sound the alarm when wilderness is threatened by pollution or poorly-planned industrial projects. That’s one reason why the sustainable use of wildlife is supported by the World Conservation Union and other environmental authorities."

"The furs we use are abundant in Canada," says Herscovici. "Strict government regulations ensure that we use only part of the surplus nature produces each year, never endangered species. Biologists tell us that beaver and muskrat are probably as abundant now in Canada as when Europeans first arrived. Raccoon, coyotes and foxes are more abundant than ever."

“The fact that fur apparel is very long-lasting and can be re-styled or recycled many times before it is discarded also makes ecological sense," Lishman says.
Fur is biodegradable, so when it finally starts to fall apart, after many decades of use, it can be thrown into a compost heap and start the cycle all over again.

To explain the fur trade’s environmental ethic, the FCC's new public information campaign includes a new Web site: www.FurIsGreen.com in addition to its advertising.