The North Face and Patagonia are looking for alternative suppliers of down feathers after being targeted by animal rights activists for buying from a California company that sources feathers from force-fed geese in Hungary, The Telegraph of London has reported.
Both companies confirmed to the The Telegraph that their down is supplied by Allied Feather & Down, which sources the material from geese farms in Hungary that force feed the birds to accelerate growth of their livers for foie gras, according to animal rights groups.
Disgust with such practices has led 15 countries including the United Kingdom to ban the production of foie gras, according to PETA’s web site. A ban on the production and sale of foie gras enacted by California in 2004 becomes fully effective this year. Under pressure from activists, including actor Kate Winslet, many British supermarkets have stopped carrying the delicacy.
The North Face and Patagonia, which have made sustainable practices a core part of their brand messaging, told The Telegraph they are seeking other sources. The Telegraph reported that Patagonia has already sent executives to geese farms in Hungary to inspect practices at the request of activists.
