World's Top Fashion Brands Are Fueling The Deforestation Of Amazon In Brazil, Finds New Study

The Amazon rainforest is often referred to as the lungs of the planet and it accounts for nearly half of the world's remaining forests.

But in recent years, the Amazon rainforest has lost a lot of its area due to rampant deforestation for mining, agriculture and more, which has raised alarm bells around the world.

AFP

Now a new study has found that some of the world's top fashion brands may have played a role in the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.

What the study says

A new report by Stand.earth Research Group, a supply chain research firm has claimed that brands including Nike, Adidas, Zara, H&M, Coach, LVMH, Prada, New Balance, Fendi Teva, and UGG are indirectly linked to the deforestation of Amazon.

AFP

The study claims that Brazilian cattle industry is the main driver of deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest. The industry is driven by demand for beef and leather. Brazilian leather is used by tanneries and manufacturers around the world to make countless branded consumer-facing products including footwear and high-end fashion products.

The study, based on nearly 500,000 rows of custom data, stated that 6.7 million hectares (16.5 million acres) of forests were lost in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest biome over the last decade (2011-2020), according to government data. It attributes JBS, the largest beef/leather company in Brazil as one of the largest contributors of deforestation in the Amazon.

AFP

¡°All companies sourcing directly from JBS or indirectly from JBS via leather processors are therefore linked to deforestation of the Amazon rainforest,¡± the report said.

¡°Furthermore, these studies also show that while JBS is the largest leather exporter and the most implicated in deforestation, this problem is endemic of the entire Brazilian leather industry ¡ª not just JBS. This includes other tannery companies like Minerva and Fuga Couros,¡± it added.

About 16.5 million acres of forests were lost in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest biome over the last decade, the report stated, citing Brazilian government data. Of that loss, the cattle industry has been ¡°the single largest driver,¡± the report added, referencing a study from the World Resources Institute.

AFP

The report, which identified the brands participating in the Leather Working Group, stated that ¡°each individual connection is not absolute proof that any one brand uses deforestation leather, it demonstrates that many brands are at very high risk of driving the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.¡± The Leather Working Group is capable of tracing the tanneries back to the slaughterhouse, and not to the farm.

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