Allied Feather & Down said it has reached a goal to have 100 percent of its global down supply chain optionally certified for responsible sourcing by third-party agencies. But will brands pay the extra costs?

One of the outdoor industry’s leading suppliers of natural insulation, as well as a major player in home fashions, Allied said the certifications help ensure that all of Allied’s down is produced from humanely treated birds. More than 75 percent of its down was already certified through the more robust Responsible Down Standard (RDS), and more than 3 percent through the even more rigorous Traceable Down Standard (TDS).

“Hitting the milestone of 100 percent third-party certification for our entire supply chain for all our partners big and small has long been among our biggest goals, and we couldn’t be prouder to have accomplished it, even before our aggressive goal of 2017,” Allied President Daniel Uretsky said. “There’s still plenty of work to be done in this arena, and we’ll continue leading this charge globally, but this is a huge milestone for Allied and its partners and consumers. We are always looking for new supply chains and will move forward to certify each new one we choose to work with.”

The comprehensive standards of these agencies ensure that among many other qualifications:

  • Allied never uses down plucked from live animals
  • Animals are never confined in tight spaces and all animals have been treated in accordance to Brambell’s Five Freedoms of animal welfare
  • Animals are never force fed.

While 100 percent of their supply chain is now certified, Allied officials clarified that the company “still has some clients who choose not to carry certification forward, so there are still down products from certain brands containing material from Allied’s supply chain that are not certified. This is generally due to the considerable financial and administrative commitments.”

The officials continued, “But Allied is working closely with all organizations and supply chain partners to help remedy this in the future so all brands can easily and cost-effectively deal entirely and exclusively in certified responsibly-sourced product, and carry that message forward to the end user.”

Photo courtesy Allied Feathers & Down