Many animal rights campaigners claim that the use of leather contributes to the death of animals, it is also claimed that farms exist purely for the creation of leather – can this be true?
The short answer is: “No. Absolutely not.”
No one raises cows for their hides. In the US, 10-20% of hides are thrown out, sent to landfill. Worldwide, this is estimated at over 40% or 120 million hides.
Where the hides are sold, in the US, they are valued at less than 2% of the value of a cow. It countries like Brazil, it is less. Farmers raise cattle for meat and milk. If cows were bred purely for leather, the price of the hide would not cover the feed and labour costs involved in breeding them and allowing them to reach maturity.
Here at RLSD we know that is a terrible waste and often results in hides being sent to landfill or to be incinerated – both these methods are bad for the environment. Hides are a by-product of the cattle and dairy industries. Using hides to make leather allows us to produce a beautiful, durable, sustainable material, upcycling a by-product that might otherwise end up as landfill.
This article was amended on December 7 2022. It previously said that leather sequestered carbon. While cattle grazed as part of regenerative farming systems contribute to soil carbon sequestration, and the use of cowhides prevents carbon emissions that occur as a result of landfill or incineration, leather does not sequester carbon. Leather does, however, hold carbon from the cowhide it was made from.
The rush to legislate for sustainability in the clothes industry could end up doing more harm than good without an internationally-agreed, non-partisan method of calculating environmental impacts – and the recent suspension of the Higg Index has highlighted
US hides have been valued at less than 2% of a cow’s total value for the last two years, which is why they are considered a by-product and often end up as waste.
From the handmade cream leather seats to the Persian rugs used as floormats, we think it’s a pretty special car.
When examining the arguments over arable versus beef production, it is important to remember not all land is suitable for growing crops. This land – marginal land – can support the grazing of cattle, which makes it more productive and sustainable.
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