Etsy scherpt beleid aan en bant bont van platform vanaf augustus 2026

Etsy will ban the sale of all animal fur starting in August 2026. This follows a more than 50-day protest campaign by the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT). The global online marketplace for handmade and vintage goods has updated its animal products policy and confirmed the decision in a separate email to CAFT.

In addition to banning the sale of endangered species products starting August 11, 2026, Etsy is also banning all products made from or containing natural fur from animals killed for their fur, “regardless of age or origin.” Etsy’s animal products policy states that this includes goods such as “raw hides, finished garments, and accessories made from real fur from animals such as mink, fox, and rabbit,” but excludes mounted animals or animal by-products such as leather, wool, or sheepskin.

Current fur sellers on Etsy have already been notified of the updated policy and know that their listings will be removed moving forward. The decision follows a 58-day campaign led by CAFT. This included more than 50 protests against Etsy and its partners in 17 cities, including a disruption of Etsy’s presentation at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in San Francisco on March 3.

In response to Etsy’s policy change, Suzie Stork, executive director of CAFT, said in a statement: “Etsy’s policy sets a new standard for online retailers. Fur is losing ground. Designers are ignoring it, publications are no longer promoting it and now Etsy, one of the world’s largest e-commerce marketplaces, is banning it too. The industry has nowhere to hide. CAFT’s attention is now fully focused on Milan Fashion Week and LVMH. All designers and partners associated with Fashion Week from Milan, have to pay close attention.”

Animal fur is losing ground in the fashion industry, but the discussion is far from over

Milan Fashion Week has been an ongoing target of anti-fur protests as part of an ongoing campaign by CAFT. Etsy’s decision to ban fur follows a year of marked acceleration in animal welfare concerns in the fashion industry. For example, last March the global non-profit animal welfare organization Four Paws united 100 brands in a call for the Australian wool industry to stop cutting lambs alive. In May 2025, Chinese giant Shein Marketplace banned fur and exotic skins. At the same time, Australian Fashion Week removed all wildlife-derived materials from the catwalks and Asics pledged to phase out the use of kangaroo skin in its shoes.

In June 2025, Sweden introduced an import ban on fur products linked to animal cruelty. This was followed in July 2025 by the EFSA recommendation for cage-free fur farms. In October 2025, Condé Nast pledged to remove fur from its publications. More measures followed in December 2025: Poland imposed a national ban on fur farming, the CFDA banned fur at New York Fashion Week, Hearst Magazines promised not to promote animal fur anymore and American designer Rick Owens announced he would remove fur from future collections.

These changes in animal fur reflect a decades-long trajectory. Since the 1980s, global awareness of the impact of fur farming and fur production has increased. Attention is paid to the suffering of millions of animals, the significant environmental impacts and the risks to public health. With governments and political parties also getting involved, the European Commission was expected to make a proposal last month on the future of fur farming in the region.

However, news recently emerged that the European Commission remains internally divided over a ban on fur farms across the EU. Some commissioners favor a complete ban in response to a citizens’ initiative with 1.5 million signatures. Others prefer to tighten existing animal welfare rules. With only five EU member states still allowing fur farming and EFSA’s conclusion that welfare problems in the sector cannot be solved through regulations alone, pressure is increasing on Brussels to act.

Not all sectors agree with the end of the fur trade. On the other side of the Atlantic, certain fur industries appear to be flourishing. The Canadian Fur Institute reports a surge in demand and record prices. At a recent auction in North Bay, prices for Canadian bobcats rose more than 300 percent year-over-year. There was a strong international turnout of buyers from Europe and Asia. Industry leaders attribute the growth to increasing consumer demand for natural, sustainable and responsibly produced products. They call on the Canadian government to continue supporting market access for fur and seal products abroad.

“There is a growing interest in quality, sustainable fur and seal products,” said Doug Chiasson, executive director of the Fur Institute of Canada, in a statement. “Canada is known for the resilience and dedication of its industry, which is rooted in the tireless efforts of Indigenous and non-Indigenous hunters over the centuries. The good that comes from their work and that of everyone in this industry has stood the test of time, and perhaps even more so the propaganda thrown at it by others.”