The International Fur Federation (IFF), which represents and regulates the global fur sector has launched Furmark®, a comprehensive worldwide certification and traceability system that ensures animal welfare and environmental standards.

Furmark® will offer QR-coded swing tags that chart the history of a fur garment from the farm through dressers and dyers, manufacturer and retailers, using the ChainPoint traceability system, which has been dubbed a "game-changer" for the fur industry.

The International Fur Federation collaborated with luxury giant LVMH and other key brands to create the Furmark badge, which ensures that all approved items are traceable, verified, and guaranteed to have met recognized standards.

As the fur industry works to address customer concerns about standards, each Furmark certified product will have a unique alphanumeric label number that gives full traceability data, including fur type and origin, animal welfare program, manufacturer, and site of manufacturing.

According to the International Fur Federation, Furmark certification means consistent standards across the supply chain, as each fully certified product must be processed by accredited dressers and dyers who meet the SafeFur Standard, which covers sustainability, chemical usage, emissions, and product safety, as well as third-party testing.

Furthermore, Furmark-certified items can only be made by companies that have passed brand protection and anti-counterfeiting specialists' "due diligence tests." Each stage of the process is documented using a traceability component that is available to customers, guaranteeing supply chain transparency.

Only wild or farm-raised natural fur sold through the auction system is eligible for the Furmark label, which includes WelFur, the first animal welfare initiative to be promoted through the European Commission's Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation Initiative.

This new global certification and traceability system is the fur industry's biggest shake-up to date, and it's designed to change the way natural fur is processed throughout the supply chain, as well as how consumers perceive fur, with the International Fur Federation hoping to reach a whole new market and audience.

Mark Oaten, chief executive of the International Fur Federation, said that this is a game-changer: if consumers had doubts about buying or wearing natural fur, they have been answered with Furmark. Their centuries-old trade is experiencing the most dramatic shift it has ever seen; traceable, sustainable products are the true alternative to ‘fast fashion.' It ensures animal welfare and environmental requirements, as well as demonstrating their common goal of providing a straightforward, easy-to-understand certification. In a nutshell, it implies that consumers can buy natural fur with confidence.

According to the International Fur Federation, the Furmark system took four years to establish. The fur industry has collaborated with industry executives, scientists, sustainability leaders, and animal welfare specialists to develop a set of internationally recognized standards, which it claims are based on research and overseen by independent inspectors.

Each animal welfare and sustainability program has its own protocol or standard, which is thorough, independently designed, and science-based. After that, the programs are subjected to third-party evaluation and certification by a recognized certification authority. Via inspections and evaluations, there will also be "tight, active enforcement." 

The International Fur Federation said that those who do not fulfill the requirements would be removed from the certification program and the Furmark system.