PR91316

LONDON, Sept. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

Customers now have the green light to buy and wear natural fur with total

confidence with the launch of a comprehensive global certification and

traceability system that guarantees animal welfare and environmental standards,

Furmark(R). In the biggest industry shakeup to date, the fur trade is

transforming the way it processes natural fur through its supply chain.

Available globally and developed by the International Fur Federation (IFF)—with

input from LVMH Group (the world's largest luxury goods conglomerate), and key

brands—Furmark(R) products are traceable, verified, and guaranteed to have met

recognised standards.

Furmark(R) will change how fur is seen and open up fur to a whole new market

and audience: it answers the unfounded accusations of those opposed to fur. The

sector, industry leaders, scientists, sustainability leads, and welfare experts

have come together to agree a set of recognised standards—based on science,

independent inspection, and transparency—and a global labelling regime that is

set to modernise natural fur.

Furmark(R)-certified products have a unique alphanumeric label code that

provides full traceability details (fur type; fur origin, animal welfare

programme; manufacturer; and place of manufacture), ensuring consumers can buy

natural fur with confidence.

Furmark(R) certification means consistent standards across the supply chain: it

only incorporates wild or farm-raised natural fur from the leading animal

welfare programmes (including the first animal welfare programme to be promoted

through the European Commission's Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation Initiative,

WelFur) sold through the auction system.

Fully certified products must be processed by accredited dressers and dyers who

meet the SafeFur Standard (covering sustainability, chemical usage, emissions,

and product safety) which includes third-party testing. Furmark(R)-certified

products can only be manufactured by businesses that have passed due diligence

checks conducted by brand protection and anti-counterfeiting experts. Each step

of the process is recorded via a customer-accessible traceability component,

ensuring transparency across the supply chain.

Each animal welfare and sustainability programme has a detailed,

independently-developed, and science-based protocol or standard. The respective

programmes are then subject to third-party assessment and certified by a

recognised certification body. Strict, active enforcement is ensured via visits

and assessments: those that do not meet standards are excluded from the

certification programme and the Furmark(R) system.

New global research showed that 70% of the public are "open" in some form to

designers and brands using natural fur. A majority (65%) of those individuals

responded positively to Furmark(R) and more than half (56%) say it "very

positively" or "positively" changes their view of natural fur.

Mark Oaten, CEO, IFF, said: "This is a game changer: if people had doubts about

buying or wearing natural fur, then they have been answered with Furmark(R)."

"Our centuries-old trade is undergoing its most significant transformation to

date; traceable, sustainable products represent the real alternative to 'fast

fashion.'"

It guarantees animal welfare and environmental standards and demonstrates our

shared ambition to deliver a transparent, easy-to-understand certification. It

means, in short, that people can confidently buy sustainable natural fur.

"Furmark(R) delivers global, recognised standards, directly to the consumer."

NOTES TO EDITORS

The International Fur Federation (IFF), established in 1949, represents and

regulates the global fur sector. It has 56 member associations in over 40

countries around the world. The Federation promotes the business of sustainable

natural fur and, as such, actively works to develop, implement, and advance

animal welfare and environmental standards.

LVMH Group has brought invaluable expertise and time over the past 4 years to

help develop the Furmark(R) program: alongside other industry experts and

stakeholders, sustainability professionals from both groups provided input and

feedback on the requirements set in the protocols shaping the standards and

certification schemes recognized under the Furmark program and shared their

standards on safe use of chemicals in fur dyeing. Brands also collaborated with

traceability platforms, including the ChainPoint system, through the supply of

data to develop a robust reporting process. This work is endorsed by the

Furmark(R) Steering Group, which follows strict governance rules.

Research quoted: 5,000 adults; key markets — US, UK, Italy, France, and Spain;

March-April 2021; Mitchla Marketing on behalf of the IFF.

For general details of Furmark(R), please visit http://furmark.com.

Source: Furmark(R)