Nearly half a billion euros a year: the cost to european citizens of maintaining fur farms

[Smadar Spector]

Nearly half a billion euros a year: the cost to european citizens of maintaining fur farms

A report on the total cost reveals that breeding animals for their fur in the EU imposes an annual expense of €446 million on European citizens.

https://www.animanaturalis.org/n/46989/nearly-half-a-billion-euros-a-year-the-cost-to-european-citizens-of-maintaining-fur-farms

The report, titled A Full Accounting of the EU Fur Industry, highlights the sector’s fragile economic situation, with a 73% reduction in fur farms over the past decade and a projected further decline of 15 to 20% by 2028. With fur prices plummeting, the industry has ceased to be financially viable and has become a major recipient of public funds to offset lost sales. Generating a negative gross value added (GVA) of €9.2 million, the sector detracts from, rather than contributes to, the European economy.

The fur industry represents less than 0.003% of employment in the EU, a figure comparable to obsolete sectors such as VHS video rental, and is similarly outdated.Fur production also entails a significant environmental cost, estimated at €226 million annually due to pollution, resource use, impacts on local communities, and the introduction of invasive exotic species. The sector’s high emissions have been linked to chronic respiratory illnesses and premature deaths across Europe.

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