Today fur remains one of the most eco-friendly of fabrics. Not only is its warmth and luxury unequaled, but it is completely recyclable and reusable. Environmentalists demand that products need to be durable and functional, making fur even more appealing. Fur garments can, with proper care and fashion savvy be used for decades. A fur garment can morph from coat to jacket to vest, to liner. In the past they were even handed down from generation to generation! While that may not be in your future, fur coats, jackets and vests can be reinvented as fashion and home accessories, collars, linings, hand bags, pillows even the ultimate luxury a fur bedspread, making them good financial and fashion investments; the ultimate in eco-friendly fashion.

Fur is very much a renewable resource. With strong regulations in place our fur-bearer species and their habitat have flourished, as trappers and Governments have carefully nurtured these stocks. An example of this diligence is the fact there are more beavers in Canada now than when the European explorers first arrived. Canadian Trappers and their Government have developed the worlds most humane trapping systems and standards and are signatories to the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS), along with the United States, the European Union and Russia.

In Canada, trappers serve a dual role: they contribute to the economy through their livelihood and assist in wildlife management through government-imposed quotas. Maximum quotas protect the animals from being over-harvested while minimum quotas assist with wild life population control. Trappers also act as eyes and ears of the land: they are among the first to sound an alarm if the environmental balance is upset, such as by pollution or habitat destruction.

In terms of fur farming, Canadian and American fur farmers abide by national codes of practice and regulations to ensure that their animals are well cared for and harvested humanely. Both Wild Fur and Ranched Fur from North America qualify for Origin Assured labels guaranteeing consumers the highest standard of care.

For more information:
www.furisgreen.com
www.iftf.com (OA)
www.fic.com