There is a lot of controversy as to whether the use of down is ethical or not and, as animal lovers, we never want to support pain and suffering. So how do Ariat ensure the down in their products is ethically sourced?
What is Down?
Down comes from waterfowl, and is the fluffy layer of feathers closest to the bird’s skin. They are soft and airy and feature thousands of tiny fibres to form a 3 dimensional undercoating for geese and ducks. This traps air and keeps them warm, unlike feathers which are much more tough in order to repel water and to allow them to fly. Commercial down usually comes from the belly or chest, and makes up around 10% of the value of the bird.
Why use Down?
Down will give you the greatest warmth with the least weight through a process called ‘lofting’- clusters expand or loft to fill space, and interlock to trap tiny pockets of air within their filaments that create thousands of insulating cavities. These keep the warmth in and the cold out, as well as allowing it to mold to your body, wick away moisture and provide breathability. Down can maintain its loft and warmth for many years when properly cared for, but is also biodegradable and recyclable when it comes to the end of its life.
Production of Down
Down is mostly a by-product of the meat industry with over 90% being produced in Asia. However, where down is unethically sourced, ducks and geese can be live plucked every other month from 10 weeks of age in order to get more than one harvest from a single bird, which leaves them in immense pain and distress. What’s more, they are often force fed through a tube in cages where they cannot move to enlarge the liver for foie-gras production. Then when sent to slaughter, their methods can be inadequate, leaving live birds to be boiled for the final harvest of down before their eventual death. For this reason, it is essential that any down product you purchase is ethically sourced.
The Responsible Down Standard was launched in 2015 to prevent this barbaric treatment and safeguard the welfare of geese and ducks that provide the down and feathers for many products. The primary aim of the RDS is to ensure that the animals are not subjected to unnecessary harm by educating suppliers and incentivizing practices that respect the humane treatment of ducks and geese. It is a voluntary standard that companies can choose to certify their products to and means that:-
- Removal of down from live birds is prohibited
- Force feeding is prohibited
- Respect for animal welfare is promoted
- Each stage of the supply chain is inspected and certified
- Only products that are 100% certified are given the RDS logo
The standard also requires that farmers meet the Five Freedoms of the animals that provide their down to ensure that consumers can trust their products. So with over 550 million birds and hundreds of brands under the certification, there is no reason to buy inhumanely sourced down.
Ariat Down
The down used in Ariat products is certified to the RDS, so has undergone stringent processes to ensure it is ethically sourced. Their products utilise premium down with high-fill power to provide durable, compressible, lofty insulation. The microdenier polyester shell also has a downproof construction to prevent loss of insulation for exceptional warmth. So rest assured, the products that we know and love including the Ariat Ideal Down Jacket and Ariat Ideal Down Vest are ethically produced, but you can also do your bit by looking after your down products to ensure they last.
