Leather and deforestation: what your brand needs to know to protect its reputation

Leather is an iconic fashion material, featured in luxury handbags, shoes, clothing, and accessories. Yet, behind its prestige and value lies a complex supply chain often marked by opacity and socio-environmental violations.

Recent reports, such as the one published by UK-based organization Earthsight, have exposed the connection between European luxury brands and leather sourced from illegally deforested areas in the Amazon. These investigations trace the material’s journey, from illegal cattle ranches to international store windows, passing through tanneries and suppliers with flawed certification systems.

Over 90% of deforested areas in the Amazon are used for cattle ranching, and about 80% of Brazilian leather is exported. Once processed abroad, leather often receives origin labels that don’t reflect its true source. The so-called “Italian leather,” for example, may have only been processed in Italy, while the raw material came from cattle raised on illegally deforested land in Brazil.

For fashion brands, particularly in the luxury segment, any link to environmentally illegal practices is not just a reputational risk, but also a matter of legal liability. Brazilian environmental laws, international regulations, and trade agreements can impose severe penalties on companies unable to prove the sustainable origin of their raw materials.

A law firm specializing in Fashion Law can assist with drafting supplier contracts, implementing socio-environmental compliance policies, and advising on international regulations such as the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which requires proof of legal sourcing for forest-risk products.

With the recent approval of Brazil’s so-called “Deforestation Bill”, which weakens environmental licensing, the burden on brands increases: it will be up to them to enforce strict traceability standards to avoid association with illegal practices.

At Carolina Lago Advocacia, we work to protect your brand’s reputation and legal security, ensuring every link in your supply chain complies with both legal requirements and ethical standards in the global market.