Press release -

Fjällräven launches Down Promise

After several years of work Fjällräven can proudly present one of the outdoor industry's most controlled and transparent down production process. With this achievement, Fjällräven now launches their Down Promise: Only ethically produced down of the highest quality is used in Fjällräven’s products.


Goose down has an unbeatable ability to insulate against the cold, while at the same time being light and packable. This has made it popular in outdoor products and clothing. But down production processes have been criticised by animal rights organisations for ill treatment of birds, and after massive criticism in 2009 the textile industry came together to try to correct the problems.

Fjällräven has worked with high-quality down for 40 years and already back in 2009 had good controls in place regarding their down production process. However, after hearing the alarming reports, the company decided to conduct a deeper investigation into the down production process. After a lot of hard work on a number of levels, already in 2010 the company received an honourable mention from Animal Welfare Sweden for their down handling practices.

This work has been an ongoing process and now in 2014 Fjällräven is launching their Down Promise:Ethically-produced down of the highest quality. In practice, this means that Fjällräven can trace all of their down, from hatchlings to the finished down products.

Just as Fjällräven places high demands on all their products in general, we are also very careful to ensure that our down is produced in an ethical manner. This is why we have invested so much energy into ensuring an upright and controlled process the whole way, from the bird farms via the slaughterhouse and down processors to the factories that make the final products”, says Aiko Bode, Chief Sustainability Officer for Fjällräven and the Fenix Outdoor Group.

The down Fjällräven uses is a high quality by-product from the food industry; it comes from geese that are bred primarily for food. Fjällräven goes to great lengths to make sure the geese have the best living conditions possible and only works with one selected down supplier who shares Fjällräven’s views on animal welfare. To ensure that Fjällräven’s down is never mixed with down from other sources it is handled in sealed sacks, which are checked in repeated tests at different stages of the production process.

In association with Fjällräven launching the Down Promise, a new updated online presentation of their down production processes plus a film that shows how production takes place on location in China is also being released. (Watch film here: Fjällräven Down Promise)

We have come far on this journey and we are proud of what we have achieved, but we are not finished yet. It is an ongoing task where we are constantly making improvements on our processes and listening to and learning from experts, so that all the steps in the production process are continuously meeting the highest possible standards from an animal welfare perspective", says Aiko Bode.


Topics

  • Leisure

ABOUT FJÄLLRÄVEN
In 1960, Åke Nordin founded Fjällräven in his basement in the town of Örnsköldsvik in northern Sweden. Today the company's timeless, functional and durable outdoor equipment enjoys a global presence and can be found in over 20 countries. Fjällräven's product range comprises outdoor clothing and accessories for men and women as well as backpacks, tents and sleeping bags.

Fjällräven prioritises acting responsibly towards people, animals and nature and encouraging and sustaining public interest in the outdoors. The company is the initiator of two popular outdoor events, Fjällräven Classic and Fjällräven Polar, which attract thousands of participants every year. Fjällräven is a part of the Fenix Outdoor Group. The Group's net sales totalled MSEK 1 865,8 in 2013.

www.fjallraven.com