Companies to pledge financial support for sustainable leather supply chains

© Andre Dib / WWF-Brazil

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) unveiled the Deforestation-Free Leather Fund, an opportunity for companies to financially support strategic initiatives to improve the sustainability of leather supply chains. Drawing on WWF’s 25+ years of experience helping companies work on sustainable supply chains, the fund will make investments to improve the traceability and resilience of leather supply chains.

The Deforestation-Free Leather Fund will target geographies with ecosystems at higher risk of environmental degradation and focus on solutions that accelerate deforestation- and conversion-free sourcing from those regions. The projects will initially include operations in Brazil, with the possibility of expanding to other beef-producing countries in South America soon.

Collective action increases the likelihood of success in addressing the environmental impacts of beef and leather production, and WWF will seek contributions to the fund from brands, retailers, leather processors, and manufacturers. The fund will help to accelerate supply-chain improvements, enabling companies to deliver their deforestation-free commitments, send strong market signals to cattle ranchers, beef producers, and leather producers, and contribute to more sustainable leather production.