Global Compact International Yearbook 2014

Good Practice
environment
Feedback from our stakeholders
We remain in constant dialogue with
our stakeholders. Fruitful and critical
communication helps us to develop.
Fjällräven values the feedback and suggestions
given by some of our stakeholders
and has responded to critical
remarks by optimizing and controlling
the processes regarding aspects relating
to animal welfare.
Our response:
A controlled down flow
Fjällräven only uses goose down and
works exclusively with one down supplier,
which, in turn, works with selected
farms and one slaughterhouse.
All Fjällräven goose down is purchased
from this slaughterhouse and represents
a byproduct of the food industry
with no force-feeding. We purchase the
down all year round to make sure we
get the estimated volume and to guarantee
that the down comes from the
designated source. However, there are
seasonal peaks, during which intensified
controls take place. During the entire
process, down for Fjällräven products
is transported in specially marked and
sealed bags to avoid it being mixed with
down from other producers.
Fjällräven’s audit team oversees the process
by conducting both announced and
unannounced audits regularly. We visit
the farms, we know how the eggs are
laid, how the fledglings hatch, how the
goslings are raised, and we control how
the birds are kept and what they are fed.
The down’s quality and cleanliness is
controlled by the IDFL. Our down flow
is also regularly reviewed by a third
party veterinarian from Sweden who
has accredited the Fjällräven down flow.
Logistics-wise, the distances between
farm and slaughterhouse are kept to a
minimum so that birds are never transported
for longer than necessary.
Every party involved has to sign and act
in accordance with the standards set in
the Fjällräven Code of Conduct.
Focus areas are:
• well-being of geese when farmed
• no live plucking
• no force-feeding
• transportation
• loading and unloading the geese
• well-being and handling of geese on
site before slaughtering
• stunning
• control of the process of finishing the
down
In 2010, Fjällräven received an honorable
mention from Animal Welfare Sweden
for its down handling practices.
The impact: Cooperation with China
The process, the partnership, and the approach
chosen by Fjällräven was highly
appreciated by Chinese provincial governments,
and hence became part of
local and regional animal welfare regulations.
We strive for such partnerships
because only by cooperating with all
those responsible are positive outcomes
possible. Fjällräven acts beyond its own
down process to “leave the base camp
better than we found it.” Making a contribution
toward the ethical treatment
of animals is what we want to achieve.
We recognized that it was only possible
through ongoing communication with
our supplier and experts from NGOs as
well as with the involvement of governmental
organizations. We strive for such
working collaborations using transparent
and open dialogues in order to make
further improvements.
The future: Working together in
partnerships
As a participant of the UN Global Compact,
we act in accordance with its Ten
Principles and its values. In the future,
we want to continue making business
in this way. With the help of our stakeholders,
we will engage in a continuous
learning experience that will guide us in
this process. We will continue to speak
to experts and suppliers. We will listen,
learn, and share our findings in order to
ensure that every step in the production
chain is of the highest possible standard
from an animal welfare perspective.
Global Compact International Yearbook 2014
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