Owner of Timberland and Vans says they will not buy leather from Brazil until they confirm that it does not harm the environment

Owner of apparel and footwear brands such as Timberland and Vans, VF Corporation said to G1 on Wednesday night (28) that it will no longer buy leather from Brazil. According to the company, the measure is "until there is security" that the materials used in its products "do not contribute to the environmental damage in the country". The company, headquartered in the United States, said the decision results from studies that have been improved from 2017 to ensure that suppliers are in accordance with their requirements (read the full note at the end of the report). However, it was not detailed why the Brazilian material does not meet these rules and not since the measure is in effect. Producers ' Charter The subject came to light after the center of Industries of Curtumes do Brasil (CICB), which represents the producing companies, write an open letter addressed to the Minister of the Environment, Ricardo Salles, last Tuesday (27). In the report, the CICB said it was communicated from the suspension of leather purchases by importers. In addition, he reported that the cancellation "was justified due to news relating burned in the Amazon region to the agribusiness of the country". The entity cited as "examples" 18 international brands that "requested suspension of leather purchases" from Brazil: Timberland, Vans, Kipling, JanSport, The North Face, Dickies, Kodiak, Terra, Walls, Workrite, Eagle Creek, Eastpack, Napapijri, Bulwark, Altra , Icebreaker, Smartwoll and Horace Small. All of them belong to the VF group. However, on Wednesday, when the letter had repercussions, the CICB denied that the brands had suspended business with Brazil. In a statement, the association said that they had given an "indicative suspension of requests" that "was not confirmed", and that the supply and exports continued "normal". What the VF says After receiving the note from CICB, G1 contacted the VF Communication Office, which is located in Switzerland. The company replied that it will not follow using Brazilian leather because it failed to "satisfactorily ensure" that the "minimum volumes" purchased from producers in the country comply with the company's responsible supply requirements. Questioned about whether the decision is related to the fires in the Amazon, as quoted in the letter of the CICB, VF did not respond directly to the question, informing only that the decision was taken carefully and is part of a long process. In addition, it reported that the chain of leather suppliers has been revised since 2017. G1 tries to contact the ministries of Agriculture, Environment and economics. Brazilian leather Production Brazil exports 80% of the leather it produces and has 50 countries among its customers, according to CICB. From January to July this year, overseas sales totaled US $712.6 million, 18.5% lower than that of the same period of 2018. The main destinations were China (23.8%), Italy (17.3%) and the United States (16.6%). VF has factories in China and the USA. Rio Grande do Sul is the largest exporter of the product, with 26.2% of shipments, followed by São Paulo (16.2%), Goiás (14.2%) and Paraná (13.2%). Read the full note from VF Corporation In our business, VF develops and implements policies to align our business decisions with the purpose of VF to empower active and sustainable lifestyle movements to improve people and the planet. For many years, VF Corporation and our brands have implemented supply policies that maintain VF values regarding raw materials. Since 2017, we have improved our global leather supply through studies to ensure that leather suppliers comply with our responsible sourcing requirements. As a result of this detailed study, we were unable to satisfactorily ensure that our minimum leather volumes purchased from Brazilian producers follow this commitment. Thus, VF Corporation and its brands decided not to continue supplying directly with leather and tannery of Brazil for our international business until there is security that the materials used in our products do not contribute to the environmental damage in the country .