Last week, Maria Arroyo i Bacete and Luciana Frosi-Carvalho from our Innovation Platform team attended the Sustainable Leather Forum, where industry leaders from brands, tanneries, innovators, and institutional bodies gathered to discuss the future of leather.
Here are some key takeaways:
✅ Traceability & Environmental Impact: Fernando Bellese de Cesaro from WWF stressed that cattle farming is responsible for 40% of tropical deforestation, highlighting the need for better traceability to avoid sourcing leather from deforested areas. While platforms like TrusTrace offer traceability to slaughterhouses, digitising upstream data and incentivising farmers for their efforts remains a challenge.
✅ EUDR & Collective Action: The EUDR will enforce geolocation and traceability. WWF, Leather Working Group, and Textile Exchange are collaborating to ensure all bovine leather is sourced from deforestation-free supply chains by 2030, providing guidance and tools for brands. @Fernando Bellese from WWF emphasised that this effort extends beyond the EUDR — it reflects consumer demand, as seen in the Consumer Goods Forum's commitment to deforestation-free supply chains.
✅ Livestock Farming Challenges: Declining bovine meat production impacts leather availability. Though hides contribute only 1% of slaughterhouse revenue, strong collaboration with the meat sector is key to securing quality hides, particularly as luxury brands acquire tanneries.
✅ Tanning Innovations: While chrome tanning is effective, concerns about CrVI have prompted interest in alternatives. Companies like GSC GROUP SPA Prodotti chimici per concerie, Biokimica and Silvateam s.p.a. (ECOTAN) are exploring natural and metal-free tanning methods. However, meeting the industry's performance requirements and reducing environmental impact remain key considerations as the sector scales up these alternatives.
✅ Impact & Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs): Although leather is considered a by-product of the meat industry, the impact attributed to the animal's life within the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) is often cited as around 68%. Companies like SPIN 360 are monitoring CO2 absorption in soils, particularly in regions like Argentina, providing opportunities to adopt best practices that support both biodiversity and climate action.
✅ Harmonization of Regulations: SPIN 360, in partnership with UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization), is working to harmonise eco-labels and regulations across the leather industry, pushing for global sustainability standards in the leather supply chain.
We left the forum inspired and committed to advancing sustainable practices in leather production. Thank you to Alliance France Cuir for organising such a thought-provoking event and to everyone we had the pleasure to meet.
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