Raw skins
There are 6,000 fur farms in EFBA member states annually producing
an average of 19 million mink and 2.8 million fox skins at a total
value of 625 million Euro. European fur farming employs some
30,000 people. Its production accounts for almost
70% of globally farmed pelt production.
European fur farming is concentrated in Denmark, Finland and
the Netherlands. In 1998 it was worth 332 million Euro to Danish
farmers; fur is that country's third largest agricultural export
product after bacon, cheese and canned meat. In Finland the annual
value of fur production is greater than that of beef.
Revenues from fur farming allow many farmers to supplement
income from other agricultural activities. Fur farming thus
contributes effectively to maintaining rural communities and also
helps general farming to remain economically viable in areas where
climatic conditions limit options as to what can be produced and
marketed profitably.
Auction houses
From the farms the pelts go to an auction house were they are
selected by colour and quality before being sold. The world's
largest auction houses are in Copenhagen, Helsinki, Seattle, Oslo,
New York, Toronto and Saint Petersburg. The bulk of the pelts are
purchased by professional buyers from all over the world. From the
auction houses, the pelts then go to be dressed and dyed.
Fur production
Technological innovations in working with fur over past decades,
such as sheering and knitting, have resulted in a whole range of
new optical effects. With such techniques the weight of the fur
can also be reduced to that of other fabrics commonly used in the
fashion industry. This innovation is at the heart of the fashion
development in which fur is combined in many types of garment with
fabrics as wool, leather, silk and suede. Production for this
market takes place in factories across the world, much in Europe,
because of the high quality production techniques available. Full
garments of fur are mainly produced in the Far East and Greece.
Fur consumption The current fashion for fur originated in the Paris, London,
Milan and New York fashion scene where leading couturiers such as
Lagerfeld, McQueen, Versace, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana created
the new image of fur. More than 300 leading designers worldwide
now regularly use fur in their collections. As a result, fur
fashions are sold through almost every retail outlet specialising
in designer labels. The European consumer market is the key
driving force for this spectacular sales development, closely
followed by North America.
Far east countries such as Korea, Japan and China are the
leading markets for full fur garments. Russia has been a
significant market for full fur garments over recent years.
Raw skins 
