Shocking New Report Reveals Extreme Cruelty in Chanel's Ostrich Feather Supply Chain

A new report has just been released by World Animal Protection and Collective Fashion Justice documenting the findings of an on-the-ground investigation conducted this year on South African ostrich farms. The investigation, which includes photo and video evidence, revealed that on farms in the supply network of Chanel and other fashion brands, ostriches have bags placed over their heads, are restrained by workers, and then have their feathers brutally ripped out while they are fully conscious with no form of pain relief. The report found that even when ostriches are subjected to a practice marketed as more humane, where their feathers are first cut, the remaining feather shafts are later removed with pliers, which can draw blood from the birds. In effect, this means these helpless wild animals are subjected to further handling and stress without being spared the pain associated with live plucking.

Credit: Mical Gia / We Animals

Ostriches have only been farmed since the mid-19th century and are not a domesticated species. These are wild birds that would naturally run for miles each day to forage and graze and are not capable of living healthy, fulfilled lives on industrial farms. Ostriches on the South African farms where the investigation took place were observed exhibiting signs of extreme stress, including self-mutilating behaviors, fence biting, repeated head movements, and birds pecking and attacking one another. To reduce pecking injuries, farmers place uncomfortable beak guards on the birds rather than work to improve their living conditions or promote their psychological well-being.

Despite misinformation that ostrich feathers used for fashion are simply a byproduct of the meat industry, they are in fact the primary driver of ostrich farming. The report included a quote from a farm that supplies one of the world's largest ostrich product companies, noting, “the main product of the ostrich that makes the most money is the feathers. We export to all over Europe, to China and South America.” South Africa supplies 75% of the world's ostrich products, and the treatment of the animals documented in this recent investigation likely represents the reality for the majority of ostriches used for feathers globally. Most of these birds live short, miserable lives before being slaughtered at just 9 to 14 months old, while others are kept alive and repeatedly stripped of their feathers until the quality of their feathers declines and they too are killed.

The recent report will hopefully help to dispel other misconceptions about the ostrich feather industry, including the belief held by nearly half of consumers polled in the UK that ostrich feathers are harmlessly shed and simply collected by the fashion industry. The report should also help shine a light on the abusive practices that brands like Chanel profit from by continuing to use ostrich feathers despite the growing availability of cruelty-free alternatives.

You can make a difference by signing our petition calling on Chanel to drop feathers once and for all. Now is the time to keep the pressure on, as this form of abuse is back in the spotlight thanks to this important new investigative reporting. You can also help by sharing the petition with your network so we can send a powerful message to Chanel that consumers everywhere strongly oppose the cruelty behind ostrich feathers.