The leather industry is doing best in promoting its sustainable development, especially in the leather manufacturing procedure and its waste disposal. This has nothing to do with the conversion of vegetarians to carnivorous lifestyles. I am worried that this is a battle that we will not win, and for people who choose not to use or eat animal products, I have no problem. In the retail industry, it is obvious that we can turn to shopping locally again to make a well-thought-out choice and understand where the products we buy are located. Consumers choose locally sourced meat because they can ask the local butcher, where their steaks or chicken breasts come from and how they are raised and despite the fact that they are still consuming meat and they are making uncultured choice. The same principle applies to leather, its origin and manufacturing method. This is not just traceability, it is a more conscious new approach to consumerism, and the meat and leather industries also have the opportunity to take advantage of this view.

Animal welfare matters

Most people know very well that leather, like the meat they eat and the various other foods they consume, comes from animals. However, more people question animal welfare. This is not only a minority of consumer groups, but companies and organizations also want to maintain clarity on the subject for various reasons. If companies want people to buy goods, or politicians want people to vote, they also need to care. For most of the last century, the treatment of animals has been subject to increasingly strict scrutiny.Yes, leather comes from animals, but we should prove that these animals are treated well during their life cycle. This is not only to praise the benefits of leather as a natural, durable and sustainable material, but also to address and address consumers’ concerns about leather and their concerns that leather encourages some form of unethical slaughter.We need to change our mindset so that consumers who are still willing to eat meat and peruse animal products realize that, like leather steaks, animal welfare has always been the core of their leather handbags.

Animal welfare and leather

Since leather products are obtained from agriculture, it is known that leather products are sourced responsibly, and animal welfare is important to customers. The combination of EU regulations and producers’ damage to ethically sourcing meat and leather has changed the way farms operate and directly affects the leather industry. Leading the field is a large company like McDonald’s, whose flagship farmer program is changing best practices in animal welfare. Another example is the Renewable Organic Matter Movement, which explores how soil and free-range cattle can help restore farmland to life.The Leather Working Group (LWG) is an online resource for stakeholders in the UK leather industry. Its audit agreement includes a section specifically to assess the supplier’s ability to trace its raw materials back to the slaughterhouse. This ensures that the member leather manufacturers clearly know where their raw materials come from.Cows live freely, and their welfare is crucial to the quality of their hides. Our carefully selected farmers understand this and really care about the leather from the cow hides they raise.When the supply chain is united behind this common goal, we can be sure that animal welfare remains the top priority.