Norwegian Campaign to Ban Fur Farming

In support of the Norwegian campaigners CAFT-UK are holding a protest at the Norwegian Embassy in London this Friday 14 November, see below for details.
 
A sensational new campaign against fur farming was launched  Monday November 10th by CAFT colleagues in Norway, following a huge and shocking undercover investigation into the Norwegian fur farming industry.
 
Norway remains one of the world's foremost fur producing countries with about 500 fur farms (fox and mink) in the country. The fur industry often tries to portray Norway as an example of more humane fur farming practices, and has been trying to push the idea of so called ethical or humane fur as an alternative to an outright ban on the trade. This investigation completely undermines these claims.
 
Throughout Summer 2008 the group Nettverk for dyrs frihet, (Network for Animal Freedom) travelled the country to see how the farm animals are actually treated. We inspected more than 100 randomly chosen fur farms in every county where such farms exist, covering over 20 percent of the fur farms in Norway. At each farm, we took pictures, filmed and made reports about the general conditions (in addition to any specific animal welfare issues). The investigation revealed widespread and systematic animal abuse, some of the worst fur farm footage yet.

On Monday 10th November, a documentary based on these findings was aired on Norwegian TV at  the same time we are launching our website www.forbypels.no (alternatively in English; www.forbypels.no/english) Other fur producing countries such as Finland will also be showing the documentary on TV.
 
You'll find everything on the website, info, pictures, our documentary and so on. 
 
The group has produced their own video about our investigation that will be subtitled in English, Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish.

They have also called for an international day of action on Friday 14th of November, in support of their call for a fur farm ban in Norway, by holding demos outside a Norwegian embassy or by doing other kinds of actions.
 
In support of the Norwegian campaigners we are holding a protest at the Norwegian Embassy in London this Friday 14 November, meet 10.30am at the Royal Norwegian Embassy, 25 Belgrave Sq, London, SW1X 8QD

(Map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?client=firefox-a&channel=s&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=Norwegian+embassy+London&fb=1&cid=348874573491160654&li=lmd&z=14&t=m)

 

Norwegian Fur Farms Revealed  -

During the summer of 2008 activists from The Network For Animal Freedom traveled the country to see how the farm animals are actually treated. We inspected more than 100 randomly chosen fur farms in every county where such farms exist, covering over 20 percent of the fur farms in Norway.

What met us was shocking. Our investigation reveals systematic animal abuse.

Norwegian fur animals are suffering

We found violations and indefensible conditions on all of the farms. The hygienic conditions were miserable on many farms – the animals were often living in their own manure. Dead animals in the cages and carcasses dumped right outside of the farms were not unusual. The animals showed clear signs of stress, and at times an extreme fear of human beings. Spending their whole life in a cage has given many animals behavioural disorders.

Too small cages, broken cage mesh and lacking protection against weather and wind was a usual sight. In addition to such shocking conditions, almost every farm visitied were violating fire safety regulations and environmental regulations. A lack of waste management was the rule rather than the exception.

Ban Norwegian fur farming

The Network For Animal Freedom has filed police reports against each of the inspected farms. We demand that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority investigates the entire industry. However, this will in no way be enough. The illegalities of the fur farming industry is so severe than no amount of control will be enough.

Our inspections show that fur farming is animal abuse, whether or not if the proper legal regulations are met. This is why The Network For Animal Freedom demands a prohibition against fur farming as the only possible solution.

Italian Update

A new international anti-fur campaign against the fashion chain MaxMara has just been launched today by the Italian group AIP (Smash the Fur Trade). In recent years the international anti-fur movement has had some excellent results persuading large international companies to go fur-free by co-ordinating campaigns in many different countries.

As always CAFT will be taking part in the MaxMara campaign with protests in the UK. We will be protesting at the head office in London this Friday 14th (following on from the Norwegian embassy protest nearby), and the following weekend, November 21-23, we will be taking part in the first international days of action.

More details to come, or email back if you want to know more, but in the meantime, please read the short text below, and use the details to contact MaxMara and ask them to adopt a fur free policy. Remember the fur industry is a ruthless, multinational business, only by working together with other activists throughout the world can we hope to fight back for the animals.

Text from the website: http://www.maxmaracampaign.net/en/index.html

All over the world campaigning networks and organizations are fighting to make designers and clothing companies "fur-free". We think it is time to ask the same ethical stand of Max Mara Fashion Group, owners of world renowned brands like Max Mara, Max &Co, and many more like Maxsport, Marina Rinaldi, Marella, Pennyblack, Newpenny, Persona, Iblues.

In Italy Campagna AIP managed to make fur-free all department stores and some clothing companies like Stefanel, Diesel, Miss Sixty and Belstaff.

Department stores like La Rinascente, Upim, Coin and Oviesse, have a big portion of the italian clothing retail and some of them have concessions of the most important designers and fashion companies inside their stores, forced too not to sell any fur products.

The Max Mara campaign is similar to those waged at department stores, or similar to the internationally coordinated campaigns that have made important fashion companies like Zara, Guess and Stefanel fur-free. The campaign is based on regular demos, communication with Max Mara's customers and a spreading boycott.

With their 2000 shops all around the world Max Mara Fashion Group is one of the biggest retail companies worldwide. Among their brands the most known and widespread are Max Mara and Max&Co. This is a campaign with international support and demos in front of Max Mara stores in different countries.

You can find reports, events and more updates (in italian) at:
www.campagnaaip.net

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
* First of all do not buy any fur and boycott all Max Mara Fashion Group brands' stores untill they will not be fur-free. Talk about this campaign to anybody you know and spread the message.

* Contact the company and tell them what you think. You can either send them a letter, a fax, an e-mail or make a phone call.
Each of these communications could be a lost customer for them, do not underestimate its impact. You can find all their contact details here

* Spread the campaign by distributing leaflets. You can find pdf leaflets in different languages in our resources section. Fell free to download and copy it.

* Organize demos or leaflettings at your local Max Mara or Max&Co shop.

Contact us at info@campagnaaip.net  for more infos

* You can contact the company at this address: (UK addresses below) MAXMARA FASHION GROUP Via Giulia Maramotti, 4, 42100 Reggio Emilia (RE)
Tel:0039-522-3991
Fax: 0039-522-3993993

Head of Press Office - Magnolia Laurenzi laurenzi.m@maxmara.it

Public Relations - Larisa Fasi
proffice@maxmara.it
fasi.l@maxmara.it

Public Relations - Giorgio Guidotti
guidotti.g@mmfg.it

More E-Mails:
info@maxandco.com
franchisingita@maxandco.com
franchisingexp@maxandco.com
info@marella.it
otb.iblues@marella.it

All e-mails to cut and paste:
guidotti.g@mmfg.it, info@maxandco.com, franchisingita@maxandco.com, franchisingexp@maxandco.com, info@marella.it, otb.iblues@marella.it, laurenzi.m@maxmara.it, proffice@maxmara.it, fasi.l@maxmara.it, guidotti.g@mmfg.it

Maxmara Ltd in the UK (No email addresses yet, please email MaxMara head offices in Italy, see above)

Head Office:
Melrose House 4-6 Savile Row, London, W1S 3PD

Stores
MaxMara Ltd
5, Albemarle St, London, W1S 4HF
Tel: 020 7518 8010

MaxMara Ltd
19-21, Old Bond St, London, W1S 4PX Tel: 020 7499 7902

Max Mara
37, High St, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5BY
Tel: 020 8944 1494

Max Mara
32, Hill St, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1TW
Tel: 020 8332 2811

Maxmara Ltd
Bicester Village, Pingle Drive, Bicester, Oxfordshire OX26 6WD
Tel: 01869 354928

Marina Rinaldi
5, Multrees Walk,
Edinburgh,
Midlothian
EH1 3DQ
Tel: 0131 557 6676
Fax: 0131 558 1232
Marina Rinaldi
2, Lislea Avenue, Belfast, County Antrim BT9 7HQ
Tel: 028 9066 2990
Marina Rinaldi
39, Old Bond St, London, W1S 4QP
Tel: 020 7629 4454
Sample letter:

To the attention of Max Mara Fashion Group,

I send this message to show my support for the campaign against the presence of fur trims and fur jackets in the collections of Max Mara and the other brands of your company.

As you may be aware every year dozens of millions animals are raised in small cages and awful conditions to be skinned and transform their pelts into trims, hats or jackets sold in shops and collections like yours.

There is a growing number of companies and designers refusing to use real fur and i think the same decision is a choice that also Max Mara Fashion Group should consider, to create a fashion free of this appalling cruelty.

Until i see this ethical decision i will take part in the boycott of all your brands products and shops and will invite all the people i know to do the same.