Buying leather products from these brands? You’re probably promoting deforestation

Even if you buy from ‘responsible’ leather brands, there is no guarantee that the leather is deforestation-free, says a new report by Stand.earth, a supply chain research firm.

Some of the big names found to have multiple connections with Amazon deforestation include H&M, Zara, Adidas, Nike, New Balance, UGG, Coach, LVMH, Prada and Fendi.

Deep-diving into the complex web of fashion’s global supply chains, the data claims that 22 of the 74 are potentially breaching their own policies against sourcing leather with deforestation links.

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At least 50 brands have multiple supply-chain links to the largest Brazilian leather exporter, JBS, which is known to engage in Amazon deforestation.

While JBS is the largest leather exporter, the deforestation problem is endemic to the entire Brazilian leather industry, claims the report.

Why do brands use deforestation leather?

The report says that brands are not necessarily choosing deforestation leather, but working with manufacturers and tanneries that source from non-transparent supply chains, and that is a huge part of the problem.

Should we just switch to vegan leather?

As more vegan, lab-grown leather alternatives crop up, you might think 'pleather' is the solution. But most vegan leather in the market is made from plastic, which is a fossil-fuel product. A better solution would be responsible production in much smaller batches along with investment in biodegradable and natural leather alternatives.

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