Half the down used in outdoor gear comes from geese
Outdoor gear representatives say they will continue to work towards an industry standard for the use of down in their clothing and equipment.
But recent research suggests their influence on the ethics of down production is limited because the outdoor sector accounts for only one per cent of global use.
The European Outdoor Group, which represents 62 major brands, surveyed its members and was also helped by the Outdoor Industry Association in the USA to get a representative picture of down use.
Controversy surrounds the use of goose down from birds that have been force-fed for their primary purpose of foie gras production.
The outdoor industry uses down in insulated jackets, gloves, boots and sleeping bags, as it provides the best performance for its weight, though synthetic materials such as Primaloft are gaining ground.
Global production of down, from geese and ducks, is estimated at 270,000 tons, with the outdoor sector using between 1,410 and 1,630 tons annually.
Mark Held, general secretary of the EOG said: “It is common knowledge that over the last few years there has been a growing focus from NGOs, retailers and consumers on the ethical sourcing of down within our industry.
“Meanwhile, numerous brands are working hard to ensure that their use of down meets high ethical and environmental standards. At the EOG, we have continued to maintain our approach of providing research support for our members and thereby facilitating both the debate and the move to best practice in terms of sourcing.
“The fact that our industry’s volume of down use equates to less than one per cent of total production suggests one reason why our leverage across the supply chain is limited and requires a combined effort.
“We are confident that we are following the correct approach in trying to work together as an industry and promote best practices, while encouraging the wider down users and supply chain to get further engaged.
“This research is an important step in achieving our long term aim, which is to help find a way to achieve one single industry standard, that is held by an independent body, is cost effective, and acceptable to both businesses and NGOs.”
The outdoor industry uses almost identical proportions of duck and goose down, with 90 per cent of the former from China, the source of almost half of all goose down used. Hungary provides about a quarter of the outdoors’ goose down, with Ukraine, Poland and Romania also supplying the material.
