Poland, the world’s second largest fur producer, has banned fur farming. President Karol Nawrocki amended the animal protection law and approved an eight-year phase-out of the country’s fur farming operations. This move effectively marks the beginning of the end of the European fur trade.
Poland is the latest European country to ban or severely restrict fur farming. It follows the examples of Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway. This is a major blow to the global fur trade.
According to the new legislation, no new fur farms are allowed to open in Poland. Existing fur farms have eight years to cease operations. Growers can apply for compensation based on how quickly they close their businesses. Those who close by January 1, 2027 will receive up to 25 percent of their average income from 2020 to 2024. Payments will decrease by five percentage points each year.
Nawrocki said in a video published on the X platform: “This is a decision that Poles have been waiting for for many years. A decision that reflects our compassion, our civilizational maturity and our respect for all living beings.”
Poland is currently the largest fur producing country in Europe. Globally, it is second only to China. Historically, the country supplied the global luxury market with millions of fox and mink furs annually. However, in recent years the country has produced less fur.
This comes at a time when luxury brands such as Gucci, Prada, Moncler, Versace, Burberry and French luxury fashion house Chanel are going fur-free. Major fashion weeks from London to New York and Copenhagen have also committed to this. California and several countries have banned fur sales entirely. Even media company Condé Nast announced in October that it would no longer show new animal fur. The company owns publications such as Vogue, Glamour, Vanity Fair and GQ. This applies to all global editorial content and advertising.
Marta Korzeniak of animal rights group Anima International, which co-authored the bill, said in a statement: “This reflects what we have been seeing on runways and in retail for years. Fur is no longer desirable. It is controversial. Designers, brands and consumers have led this change. Poland is simply catching up to where the culture already is.”
“It’s about alignment. Fashion is aligned with values, with innovation and with the future. Poland’s decision confirms what the industry already knows: fur farming is history.”
Since its peak in 2015, the number of animals bred for fur in Poland has fallen by 70 percent to around three million annually. This explains the pan-European animal protection organization Anima International. Mink fur exports collapsed from 402 million euros (2014-2015) to just 71 million euros in 2024.
“This is a historic moment for animal protection in Poland. It will end the suffering and death of millions of animals kept on fur farms. Fur farming is not part of Poland’s heritage. Most Poles reject fur cruelty, as evidenced by opinion polls and the more than 76,000 petition signatures we recently handed over to President Nawrocki’s office"said Iga Głażewska-Bromant, director for Poland at the animal protection organization Humane World for Animals Europe. “We hope this will be a decisive catalyst for change. The European Commission is currently examining the case for an EU-wide ban on fur farming.”
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