A new study commissioned by global firm Four Paws has found that two-thirds (66 per cent) of Australians say fashion brands should be responsible for ensuring animal welfare standards are upheld throughout their supply chains.
The results come from a nationwide sample of 1,048 Australian adults aged 18 years and older, conducted by research firm YouGov.
While 66 per cent are calling on fashion brands to uphold animal welfare standards, 54 per cent say that fashion brands should be transparent about their standards when it comes to animal welfare, too.
Six in ten (59 per cent) Australians are conscious about animal welfare, including a fifth who say they currently seek out or purchase fashion items with animal welfare credentials (20 per cent), and one in five (19 per cent) who say they have decided to avoid animal-based fashion products altogether.
Nearly seven in ten (69 per cent) Australians agree that fashion companies should reduce the use of animal derived materials and invest in alternatives and transition to sustainable animal-friendly material alternatives - such as recycled or plant-based materials - including nearly two in five (38 per cent) who strongly agree with this.
Women are more likely than men to strongly agree with this - 43 per cent compared to 32 per cent.
After learning about the practice of 'mulesing' in Australia - also known as live lamb cutting - and the availability of pain-free alternatives, nearly three-quarters of Australians (73 per cent) agree that retailers sourcing wool should phase out their use of wool from mulesed sheep. This is up from 71 per cent in 2021, with over two-fifths (45 per cent, and up from 39 per cent in 2021) strongly agreeing.
Women are more likely to strongly agree than men when it comes to mulesing (52 per cent compared to 38 per cent).
Mulesing is the removal of strips of wool-bearing skin from around the buttocks of a sheep to prevent the parasitic infection flystrike (or myiasis).
Meanwhile, 36 per cent of Australians believe that both the farming, import and the sale of fur should be banned, while around one in seven (14 per cent) believe that fur farming, import and sales should continue.
“Consumers are increasingly concerned by the mistreatment of animals for fashion,” Four Paws head of animal welfare in fashion Jessica Medcalf said. “For a growing number of people, dressing up does not mean letting animals down.
“The impacts of their use on the climate crisis are also becoming more widely recognised. Many animals used for textiles are ruminants, which are high emitters of greenhouse gases and require huge areas for grazing or feed.
“Consumers have the power to push brands forward and call for changes that end cruelty towards our fellow sentient beings, who feel pain, fear and stress. The data shows, brands must keep up to remain relevant.”