On Tuesday, the Netherlands, the third-largest producer of animal fur in the world, placed a ban on mink farming with a goal of phasing the industry out in the next 12 years. The Dutch senate-approved bill won with a majority vote of 46 in favor of the bill and 29 opposed. Humane Society International’s European Union director Joanna Swabe expressed her gratitude to the nation, calling this newly approved law significant, inspiring, and one that will reduce cruelty. Given that the international fur trade was worth approximately $14 billion in 2010 according to the International Fur Trade Federation, the phase-out is a landmark moment in reducing the suffering of animals.

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