Enhance Environmental Awareness LV Parent Company Introduced Crocodile Breeding Standards

"I" d rather go naked than wear fur (I would rather bare than wear fur)! "

"Fur is dead (fur is dead)!"

"Blood on your hands (your hands are covered with blood)!"

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Every year in the international fashion week, there will always be animal protection organizations calling cards outside the show to protest the use of fur by luxury brands.

With the improvement of global awareness of environmental protection, luxury brands often face the pressure of abuse of animals, and many brands have begun to make a difference.

In February 18th, the LVMH group, the parent company of the well-known luxury brand LV, announced the introduction of the industry's first crocodile breeding standard, which will ensure that the crocodile Farming Farm respects animal welfare in terms of handling, veterinary intervention, living space and feed quality.

Prior to the animal protection organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA) had exposed the video, condemning the crocodile farm related to LVMH business conditions harsh, cruel means.

However, PETA is not satisfied with the LVMH group's introduction of crocodile breeding standards, and its PETA Asia, an associated agency in Asia, told the daily economic news reporter: "the promulgation of this standard will not prevent thousands of crocodiles from being confined to narrow concrete pits for life, nor can they stop cruelty slaughtering and peeling."

It is gratifying to note that the rejection of fur by luxury brands has become a trend.

So far, CHANEL, Chanel, GUCCI Gucci, Giorgio Armani Giorgio Armani, Versace Versace and other famous brands have said "no" to fur.

First crocodile breeding standard

In 2016, PETA exposed the video of a crocodile cruelly slaughtered and skinned on a farm in Vietnam, and pointed out that the farm supplies leather for the leather manufacturer of LVMH group.

"Imprisoned in narrow space", "hole in vivo", "skinned crocodile skin" and "dismembered after being discarded", these bloodstained pictures and descriptions aroused public interest in animal rights.

Despite the LVMH's denial of the farm's relationship with itself, the brutality and chaos behind fur culture has been revealed.

In order to ensure that the source of crocodile skin material is in line with social responsibility, LVMH group announced the first crocodile breeding standard in February 18th, including four aspects: protecting crocodile species, respecting the local community; animal welfare throughout all stages of animal life; working conditions on farms; environmental protection.

LVMH group strategic director Jean-Baptiste Voisin said in a statement: "because of the lack of supervision of the crocodile aquaculture industry, LVMH decided to launch a new industry standard and set up a new reference framework for this industry."

It is understood that these new requirements are formulated and confirmed by the technical committee of independent organizations NSF International and so on. At present, 3 farms which are supplied by Singapore's thriving tanneries, controlled by LVMH, have been certified by this standard.

LVMH over 20 Farms in Australia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Philippines and the United States will be certified by the end of 2020.

According to LVMH, the standard can be traced back to farms except the implementation of animal skins 100%. It can also ensure that farms respect animal welfare in handling, on-site veterinary intervention, living space and feed quality.

The move was seen as a strong response from the LVMH group to PETA exposure, but PETA did not seem to buy it.

In February 21st, PETA Asia said in an interview with reporters: "the crocodile breeding norm promulgated by LVMH will not prevent thousands of crocodiles from being confined to narrow concrete pits for life, nor can they stop cruelty slaughtering and peeling."

The agency further said that these cruel practices include cutting the rear neck of the crocodile and pushing the metal rod down the spine of the living animal, causing unimaginable pain to the animal.

The fur business of big names

For a long time, animal fur, as a natural material, is loved by consumers with its warm and advanced texture. With the rise of new consumption power and the promotion of brand culture in the era of Internet marketing, the big leather fur and leather goods such as crocodile bags, mink coats and boa constrictor belts have gradually become the symbol of status and status.

So LV bag had a love bag called "donkey bag" in the eyes of beautiful girls.

Carrying a "donkey bag" is rendered as the standard of contemporary fashion women.

And almost all of the Hermes packages, "Bei Sao" has become the envy of many women.

According to Bain consultancy data, the total sales volume of the global luxury goods market reached 1 trillion and 200 billion euros in 2017, an increase of 5%.

The total sales volume of China's luxury goods market reached 142 billion yuan, an increase of 20% over the same period last year.

In order to cope with surging consumer demand, big players are "unable to sit still".

Many luxury brands are directly feeding the fur and aquaculture factories on the upstream of the supply chain to ensure that the raw materials with high profit and quality are obtained.

In 2011, in order to control the entire supply chain of crocodile skin, LVMH Group acquired Singapore's Xing Long tannery, one of the world's five largest crocodile skin suppliers, making it the first and only overseas leather manufacturer in LVMH.

Since then, the LVMH group has also bought the crocodile farm in the Johns Tong River in Australia.

In 2013, Hermes purchased a number of crocodiles farms in Louisiana and other places in the United States, and Gucci's parent company, Kai Yun group, invested a boa constrictor farm in Thailand in 2017.

For luxury brands to step up the integration of supply chain, Tang Xiaotang, founder of fashion consulting firm No Agency, told reporters: "these initiatives are the need to expand production capacity, and also allow the brand's own supply chain to respond quickly to product demand.

Every major brand is pursuing fast, so we must control the supply chain in our own hands.

Trend of abandoning fur

Fur farms are favored by many large brands, but they are just a "commercial game". Thousands of animals are cruelly slaughtered.

Crocodiles, ostriches, pythons and lizards are all victims of fashion.

In recent years, animal protection organizations have been increasingly protesting against animal abuse by luxury companies. For example, PETA has bought shares of Prada and LVMH, seeking opportunities to speak at shareholders' meetings to try to prevent them from selling rare animal skin related products.

"Consumers' awareness of environmental protection and moral standards are gradually improving. They will also ask their brands to improve their standards."

Tang Xiaotang analyzed to reporters, "plus the enterprises themselves have the need to fulfill their social responsibilities, so it is a trend to reduce the use of fur."

In terms of policy, many countries and regions attach importance to the environmental protection of fur use.

Britain began to ban fur culture since 2000 and became the first country to ban fur culture in the world.

Since then, Luxemburg, Norway, Serbia and other countries have also issued a ban on fur breeding.

Not long ago, the United States in Losangeles initially adopted a law prohibiting the sale of fur.

Under the above factors, many luxury brands have decided to join the anti fur camp.

According to incomplete statistics from reporters, luxury brands such as CHANEL Chanel, GUCCI Gucci, Giorgio Armani Giorgio Armani, Versace Versace and so on have already said "no" to fur.

In December 2018, when Chanel announced the abandoning of rare animal leather, it was revealed that it is becoming more and more difficult and costly to find leather that conforms to the Chanel brand standard and ethical code. Therefore, the future brand will focus on fabric research and development, use textiles and leather materials from animal husbandry to make products.

"Fashion brands and designers have come to the conclusion that when making rare animal skins into fashion accessories, it is impossible to avoid the immeasurable pain while obtaining rare animal skins, so they chose to abandon the use of rare animal skins, and PETA urged LVMH to make the same choice."

PETA Asia told reporters.

Author: Wang Fan