Norway has pledged to phase out all fur farms by...

Norway has pledged to phase out all fur farms by 2025. The Conservative government of Prime Minister Erna Solberg has agreed to shut fox and mink farms that produce about one million pelts a year as part of a deal with the anti-fur Liberal Party, which is supposed to join Solberg's minority government. Noah, an animal rights group, saluted the decision as part of a shift against what it considers to be an outdated and cruel business. In contrast, the Norwegian Fur Breeders Association stressed that there are around 200 fur farms in the country which employ about 400 people under strict rules for animal welfare. These farms generate an annual turnover of between 350 million to 500 million Norwegian krone (€52.0m-$63.7m), the association said. The number of farms used to be considerably higher, however. In 1939, Norway was home to nearly 20,000 farms, according to a government report, and was the world's biggest producer of fox fur. Humane Society International, which advocates against fur trade, said in a statement that Norway was the 14th European country to phase out fur farming, “sparing animals who would otherwise spend their entire lives in cramped, barren cages.”  Last year, Gucci announced that it would stop using fur in its items, in response to changing consumer tastes and the increasing pressure coming from animal rights groups.