Sites of contestation in global fur networks

Fur is a highly contested commodity, yet constitutes a growing global market. Global production networks of fur are premised upon the commodification of nature in the form of animal skins, which is contested by consumers and civil society groups, such as animal rights activists. While there is already a considerable body of work on ethical consumption and environmental governance and in/of GPNs, we argue that the strategies of political contestation by producers and consumers alike deserve more explicit attention. In particular, the ways in which various GPN actors struggle over valuation requires a stronger recognition of related practices of association and dissociation to establish or stabilise their respective value regimes. Our study focuses on key sites of contestation that span the global geographies of fur(-fashion) production networks: fur farms, auctions, trade fairs, design centres, whole-sale and retail shops in various countries. By analysing the political-economic, discursive and material dimensions of political contestation in fur GPNs, we aim to contribute to a Cultural Political Economy of GPNs.