The Textile Exchange said a video published last week by PETA showing Chinese farmers live plucking geese for down was not filmed at a farms certified to the Responsible Down Standard embraced by many outdoor brands.
In a recent article published by CBS News, and according to their own website, PETA alleged it found “shocking cruelty that sheds doubt on the standards and disturbing evidence that will shake consumers’ confidence in the word “responsible.”
While saying it was horrified by the practice of live plucking, the Textile Exchange said PETA, which stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, had not established a link between live plucking and RDS certified products.
“The footage of the shocking practices found in China was not recorded at farms certified to the Standard,” the Textile Exchange said in a response to PETA’s report posted to the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) website.
The RDS, which was developed in close cooperation by Allied Feather & Down, The North Face and other outdoor apparel brands in response to criticism of live plucking and other inhumane practices in the down supply chain, expressly prohibits live plucking, and other violations of animal welfare.
“As soon as we became aware of PETA’s investigation, we spoke with our certification bodies and certified suppliers in this region, and we have confirmation that no down from the PETA-investigated sites could have been sold as certified,” the statement reads. “The alleged links between live plucking and the RDS are unproven and potentially damaging to the momentum gained in the past 4 years to protect and improve the welfare of ducks and geese.”
Textile Exchange, Allied Feather & Down, Down Décor and their customers in the outdoor and industry have spearheaded efforts to transform the down supply industry since animal rights activists began challenge the treatment of geese by the food industry in the early 2010s.
“Through the Responsible Down Standard, we have had a large and extensive impact on the lives of geese and ducks around the world,” Textile Exchange wrote. “We provide traceability needed to ensure that RDS down does not come from live plucked birds and to reduce the occurrence of live plucking and force feeding in the industry as a whole.”
Reforming good industry practices
Down used in manufacturing is derived from geese that are primarily raised for their meat and liver, which industry experts estimate comprise 85 – 90 percent of the economic value of a goose. By comparison, down is estimated to comprise roughly 5 percent of the economic value.
According to a member survey conducted by the European Down and Feather Association (EDFA), 98 percent of down and feathers produced worldwide are a natural by-product of poultry breeding or meat production. Put another way, the value of down itself is not an economic driver in goose farming. If the apparel and bedding manufacturing industries were to cease using down as a material, geese and duck farming would continue unabated due to the demand of the food industry.
The Responsible Down Standard is designed to evaluate and trace the original source of down used in products, thereby creating a chain of custody from gosling or duckling to final product. The ultimate goal is to increase transparency in the supply chain around all issues relating to animal welfare. This includes prohibiting animal mistreatment such as force feeding and live plucking as well as providing guidelines on issues such as food and water quality, housing, stocking density, outdoor access, animal health, hygiene, and pest and predator control, among others.
