Down is Up

The cost of down is up from $12/lb in ’09 to almost $30/lb today, while duck down has risen from $10/lb to $19/lb over the same period. Diet and urbanization are primarily why. As the Chinese become wealthier city-dwellers, fewer and fewer of them are raising ducks for food. Exacerbating this trend, worldwide demand for fish, chicken and beef is up while demand for geese and ducks is declining.