Etsy bans animal fur as industry sentiments continue to shift

Etsy is set to ban the sale of all animal fur from August 2026, following a 50-plus-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 in a separate email to CAFT its decision. 

In addition to prohibiting the sale of products made from animal species that are threatened or endangered from August 11, 2026, Etsy will also ban all products made from or containing natural fur from animals killed for their pelts, “regardless of age or origin.” Etsy’s Animal Products Policy notes that this includes goods such as “ raw pelts, finished garments, and accessories made with real fur from animals such as mink, fox, and rabbit,” but does not include taxidermy or byproduct animal materials like leather, wool, or sheepskin.

Current fur sellers on Etsy have already been notified of the updated policy and made aware that their listings will be removed in the future. The decision is said to follow a 58-day campaign led by CAFT that included more than 50 protests of Etsy and its affiliates across 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. Designers are dropping it, publications are not promoting it, and now, Etsy, one of the world's largest e-commerce marketplaces, is banning it. The industry has nowhere left to hide. CAFT’s attention is now fully directed at Milan Fashion Week and LVMH. All designers and affiliates who work with Milan Fashion Week should be paying close attention.”

Animal fur keeps losing ground within the fashion industry, but the debate is far from over

Milan Fashion Week has been an ongoing target of anti-fur protests as part of an ongoing campaign from CAFT. Etsy’s decision to ban fur comes after a year of marked acceleration concerning animal welfare across the fashion industry. For example, last March saw global non-profit animal welfare organization Four Paws unite 100 brands in a call on Australia's wool industry to end live lamb cutting. In May 2025, Chinese giant Shein Marketplace banned fur and exotic skins, while Australian Fashion Week removed all wildlife-derived materials from its runways, and Asics committed to phasing out kangaroo skin in its footwear. 

June 2025 saw Sweden introduce an import ban on fur products linked to animal cruelty, followed in July 2025 by the EFSA recommending cage-free fur farming. Then, in October 2025, Condé Nast pledged to remove fur from its publications, and in December 2025, Poland enacted a national fur farming ban, the CFDA prohibited fur at New York Fashion Week, Hearst Magazines committed to no longer promoting animal fur in its titles, and US designer Rick Owens announced the removal of fur from future collections. 

These changes regarding animal fur reflect a decades-long trajectory, as since the 1980s, global awareness concerning the impact of fur farming and fur production has increased, with attention surrounding the suffering of millions of animals emerging, alongside the significant environmental impact and public health risks. With governments and political parties also weighing in, the European Commission was expected to issue a proposal regarding the future of fur farming across the region last month. 

However, recently, news emerged that the EU Commission remains internally divided over whether to ban fur farming across the EU, with some commissioners favouring an outright ban in response to a 1.5-million-signature citizens' initiative, while others prefer simply tightening existing animal welfare regulations. With only five EU member states still permitting fur farming, and the EFSA having concluded that welfare problems in the sector cannot be resolved through regulation alone, pressure on Brussels to act is mounting.

Not all industries are aligned with the end of the fur trade. Across the Atlantic Ocean, certain fur sectors appear to be thriving, with Canada's fur institute reporting a surge in demand and record-breaking prices, with a recent auction in North Bay seeing Canadian bobcat prices rise more than 300 percent year-on-year and strong international buyer turnout from across Europe and Asia. Industry leaders attribute the growth to rising consumer appetite for natural, durable, and responsibly sourced products, and are calling on the Canadian government to support continued market access for fur and seal goods abroad.

“There’s a growing interest in quality, long-lasting 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 trappers throughout these lands over the centuries. The good that comes out of their work and the work of all in this industry has withstood the test of time, and perhaps more than anything else, the propaganda thrown at it by others.