Humane Care Merit Award Certification Program

What is the Humane Care Merit Award Certification Program?

The fur industry’s Merit Award program, launched in 1989, was one of the first formalized humane care certification programs in U.S. agriculture. To assist in the program’s implementation, the same year also saw the first publication of the Standard Guidelines for the Operation of Mink Farms in the United States.

In consultation with veterinarians, animal scientists, wildlife biologists and farmers, the industry has developed a set of rigorous standards for the humane production of farm-raised mink. Farms meeting the standards receive the Merit Award certification only after an independent licensed veterinarian has completed a comprehensive inspection to verify compliance. Nearly 95% of U.S. mink production comes from certified farms.