The importance of where food is sourced always amazes me. Over the past few years, many renowned chefs and celebrities including Gordon Ramsey, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and Janet Street Porter have all advertised the brutal nature of intensive farming strategies to produce cheap meat for the public consumption.
Nowadays, there is no surprise that people make the extra effort to either buy free range or organic produce as it is seen as the better choice, both socially and health wise. However, my question is why do we automatically disregard these issues when it is related to the world of fashion?
If you haven't already have guessed it by now, this post is about...
Fur: possibly the most controversial topic that can be discussed in today's society.
Having a great interest in documentaries (as nerdy/sad as that seems), today I watched the "Kill It, Skin It, Wear It" documentary where any person who watches this graphic programme would be appalled by the fur industry - but of course, that's the message it's trying to get across right?
With this rapidly growing industry, the demand for cheap fur is increasing dramatically and it is now estimated that over half of the world's fur comes from intensive farms in China. As you can imagine, the conditions the animals have to survive in are extremely poor. Thousands of animals such as foxes cramped together, pacing around in circles as they have less than a square metre to survive in. Clearly, the animals are in severe distress. It is so severe that it caused one fox to chew off its own flesh leaving the bone exposed on its front leg. Honestly, if you think that is bad, the actual slaughter process is far more worse: being skinned alive, people jumping on Raccoon Dogs necks to kill them, being left for dead.
The sad thing is, it's happening in China, Russia, Finland, Canada and many more countries across the world.
With this rapidly growing industry, the demand for cheap fur is increasing dramatically and it is now estimated that over half of the world's fur comes from intensive farms in China. As you can imagine, the conditions the animals have to survive in are extremely poor. Thousands of animals such as foxes cramped together, pacing around in circles as they have less than a square metre to survive in. Clearly, the animals are in severe distress. It is so severe that it caused one fox to chew off its own flesh leaving the bone exposed on its front leg. Honestly, if you think that is bad, the actual slaughter process is far more worse: being skinned alive, people jumping on Raccoon Dogs necks to kill them, being left for dead.
The sad thing is, it's happening in China, Russia, Finland, Canada and many more countries across the world.
By all means, this doesn't mean that the whole industry produces all of it's fur unethically.
As seen in the documentary, fur can be ethical. In Denmark, a fur farm visited by Merrilees Parker in the documentary shows a strategy where they gas the animal in carbon dioxide - a more humane way.
Not only that, but some of the animals trapped are seen as rodents which may impose a health hazard; similar to the rat population in the UK. It just so happens that the fur can be used for by-products like leather is produced from cows.
Wanting to become successful in the world of fashion, I think it extremely important for me to beware of such issues because it is clear that there are definitely pros and cons to every industry. Just as I said in my last "awareness" post, I believe that stepping into a world in which I have great interest in and being oblivious of the consequences of it is arrogant and unacceptable.
My first and foremost aim of this post is to create awareness because I find that too many people overlook these issues.
Spread the word.
To watch "Kill It, Skin It, Wear It", click here.
As seen in the documentary, fur can be ethical. In Denmark, a fur farm visited by Merrilees Parker in the documentary shows a strategy where they gas the animal in carbon dioxide - a more humane way.
Not only that, but some of the animals trapped are seen as rodents which may impose a health hazard; similar to the rat population in the UK. It just so happens that the fur can be used for by-products like leather is produced from cows.
Wanting to become successful in the world of fashion, I think it extremely important for me to beware of such issues because it is clear that there are definitely pros and cons to every industry. Just as I said in my last "awareness" post, I believe that stepping into a world in which I have great interest in and being oblivious of the consequences of it is arrogant and unacceptable.
My first and foremost aim of this post is to create awareness because I find that too many people overlook these issues.
Spread the word.
To watch "Kill It, Skin It, Wear It", click here.
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