Fur trade worth over 40 billion dollars

New figures released by the International Fur Federation, which represents the interests of 42 national fur trade associations

and organisations from 35 countries, claims that the fur trade industry is worth more than 40 billion dollars to the global economy.

The IFF states that sales of fur products are estimated at 35.8 billion dollars, while farming is valued at 7.8 billion dollars, and that the industry employee more than one million people, according to statistics released from the 2012-13 sales period.

Fur has had seen a resurgence during recent seasons on the catwalk and the red carpet, with designers including Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Richard Nicoll, Sibling, Christopher Kane, and Roksanda Ilincic embracing it.

"It's easy to get caught up in the emotions that the business can generate, but the truth is that the fur trade is an economic cornerstone in Europe and beyond," IFF CEO Mark Oaten told The Telegraph. "Much of the fashion and increasingly the soft furnishings world relies on fur - and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future."