New campaign reveals the animal cruelty of the fur trade, urging the EU Commission to ban fur farming

Humane World for Animals Europe launches Reality Projected campaign with award-winning fashion photographer

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, March 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Animal protection charity Humane World for Animals Europe is urging the EU Commission to ban fur farming and sales with a new thought-provoking campaign exposing the animal cruelty hidden behind the glossy PR of the fur trade. Reality Projected, created with award-winning fashion photographer Fro Rojas of Kreative Kontent and in partnership with global creative agency AKQA, uses light projected photos of fur farm cruelty onto the canvas of real fur coats and other items worn by models, to show the suffering hidden behind the glossy images promoted by the fur trade.

While fur farming is already banned in 24 European countries, including 18 Member States, and many more have placed restrictions on the practice, more than 6 million animals are still kept on almost 1,200 fur farms across the European Union in countries such as Finland, Denmark, Spain, Greece and Hungary. Conditions on fur farms are appalling; in July 2025 the European Food Safety Authority concluded in a scientific opinion that fur farms across the European Union fail to meet basic animal welfare needs for mink, foxes, raccoon dogs and chinchillas.

In 2023 more than 1.5 million EU citizens signed the Fur Free Europe European Citizens’ Initiative petition calling for an EU-wide ban on fur farming and trade. The European Commission is due to publish its policy response next month. Ahead of the Commission’s response, Humane World for Animals continues to gather signatures for its petition, which will be presented to EU Commissioners in early March. Any legislative proposal the Commission commits to delivering will be subject to amendment and approval by both the European Parliament and Council.

Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs at Humane World for Animals Europe, said: “The European Union has the opportunity to position itself on the right side of history for animal welfare by proposing an EU-wide ban on the cruel and outdated practice of fur farming. As the Commission prepares to publish its policy position on fur farming, our Reality Projected campaign exposes the suffering that the fur trade doesn’t want EU citizens to see. It should remind EU Commissioners that what is at stake is protecting animals from hideously cruel conditions on fur farms, which its own scientific experts have concluded fail to meet basic animal welfare standards. The science is clear and the wishes of EU citizens are unequivocal that the fur trade has no place in modern EU society. We don't want minimum ‘welfare standards’ for fur farmed animals, we need a ban now.”

Reality Projected was shot in a studio in Miami, Florida, and features a full-length mink coat, a raccoon dog pom hat and a fox fur jacket, all items were donated by consumers who no longer wish to wear fur. The images light projected onto the fur canvas were taken by Humane World for Animals and We Animals on fur farms in Europe.

Fro Rojas said: “I’ve directed fashion campaigns for close to 20 years. I’ve seen how the industry glamorizes cruelty and sells it as luxury. But fur isn’t glamorous, it’s brutal and outdated. Animals shouldn’t suffer and die in cages for fashion. We have beautiful, ethical alternatives that let people express themselves without the bloodshed. Fur farming clashes with today’s values: ethics, sustainability, compassion. That’s why we’ve used stark photography to show the grim reality behind this industry, the suffering hidden from view. It’s time people saw the truth. The European Commission can help end the EU’s role in this cruel trade. I urge it to act now to shut down fur farming for good and let fashion move forward, more humane, more honest.”

Humane World for Animals works across the globe to end the fur trade. With a focus on the UK, Europe, North America and China, our work includes government, industry and corporate campaigns, collaborations with designers and fashion brands, undercover investigations and education campaigns, and has led to a steadily decreasing number of animals affected by this cruel trade.

Fur facts
• Among the EFSA findings were that animals on EU fur farms live in barren conditions which severely restrict movement, where they experience sensory under-stimulation and overstimulation, leading to chronic boredom and/or stress and an inability to exhibit key behaviours including playing, exploring, foraging, digging, jumping, access to sand for chinchilla bathing and access to open water for mink to swim. Stress, aggression and injury, including infanticide and cannibalism, as well as stereotypical behaviours such as repetitive pacing and head bobbing, were noted.
• Fur farming poses a zoonotic disease risk. Mink on almost 500 fur farms across 13 countries in Europe and North America have been found to be infected with COVID-19, with millions of animals killed on public health grounds. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) has also been found on 73 fur farms in Europe to date. Around 500,000 mink, arctic fox, red fox, raccoon dogs and sable were killed on public health grounds.
• Research shows that the carbon footprint of 1kg of mink fur (309.91 kg CO2-eq) is 31 times higher than cotton, 26 times higher than acrylic, and 25 times higher than polyester. Raccoon dog fur and fox fur also have high carbon footprints, approximately 23 times worse for the climate than cotton, and 18 times worse for the climate than polyester.
• Most leading designers have fur-free policies including Max Mara, Saint Laurent, Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Valentino, Prada, Armani, Versace, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, DKNY, Burberry and Chanel. Fashion houses are choosing to innovate with sustainable, cruelty-free alternatives.
• Fashion Weeks including Copenhagen, London and New York have dropped the use of fur from their events, and publishers of titles including Vogue, Elle, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Esquire and Vanity Fair have committed to fur exclusion policies.

Download Reality Projected visuals HERE.

Sabina Topolsky
Humane World for Animals Europe
commsEU@humaneworld.org

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