Projects

The Deforestation-Free Leather Fund

Designed for the planet. Led by the industry.

Tropical forests and savannas are critical to our well-being — they help protect the planet’s biodiversity and safeguard against climate change. However, these vital ecosystems are under threat from the rapid expansion of cattle production, a major driver of tropical deforestation.

WWF and leaders in the leather industry want to change that. That’s why we are launching the Deforestation-Free Leather Fund. By pooling financial resources, industry leaders can unite around a common goal of advancing sustainable and resilient leather sourcing practices. Working together, we can safeguard critical ecosystems while supporting the long-term health of our planet.

Together, we are partnering to create a future that supports healthier landscapes, vibrant communities, and more sustainable leather products for consumers.

Sustainability for Leather Companies

Companies that source leather have an important role to play in the fight against deforestation. In recent years, momentum for collective action has grown, driven by evolving business priorities, the implementation of stricter regulations, and rising demands for deforestation-free products.

The Deforestation-Free Leather Fund is a response to these changes. By eliminating deforestation and embedded GHG emissions from leather supply chains, we can establish more sustainable sourcing that aligns business outcomes with positive environmental impacts, while developing resiliency against climate shifts.

Cattle Production Redefined

Cattle account for more than 40% of global livestock-related greenhouse gas emissions, making them a significant contributor to agricultural emissions. However, when managed responsibly with strategic improvements (see below), cattle production can enhance natural landscapes and deliver critical ecosystem services while supporting livelihoods and ensuring food security for nearby communities.

Collaborating for Impact

By collaborating to pool financial resources, WWF and Leather Fund participants can advance meaningful, large-scale change beyond the scope of what any company could achieve alone. Our joint effort sends a clear, unified message to cattle producers, leather manufacturers, and tanneries, that addressing deforestation is an urgent issue.

Strategic Focus for Lasting Change

The Deforestation-Free Leather Fund is committed to driving significant impact by prioritizing ecosystems at the highest risk of deforestation and conversion. Initial efforts will center on Brazil, South America’s leading producer of cattle and leather and home to the world’s largest rainforest. Through collaboration with Brazilian partners, the Leather Fund will implement cost-effective, scalable, and more sustainable solutions by concentrating on three proven areas of intervention:

TRACEABILITY

Implementing effective end-to-end traceability systems contributes to the long-term sustainability, credibility, and resilience of leather companies. We will support a range of initiatives to develop and deliver credible traceability standards that can be scaled over time. This includes plans to ear-tag at least 1 million animals and use effective traceability systems to monitor their origin from deforestation- and conversion-free verified farms.

RANCHING PRACTICES

By investing in ranch-level practices, we can actively foster responsible sourcing, environmental compliance, and more sustainable production practices. To begin, we will direct resources toward existing, successful ranch-level initiatives to facilitate adoption of deforestation-free practices. Areas of focus will include capacity building, governance enhancement, landscape restoration, improved water resources, and compliance with laws and voluntary standards. As part of this strategy, we plan to recover 15,000 hectares of degraded land.

A young man smiling at camera with cattle in background

LAND TITLING, ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND MARKET ACCESS

To effectively combat environmental damage and make producers more sustainable and resilient, it is critical that we work with the producers responsible for the largest impacts. By helping these ranchers comply with local production laws and voluntary standards to gain access to legal leather markets, we can reduce black market sales and address illegal deforestation at its source. As part of this approach, we will support overall productivity, environmental compliance, land regularization, restoration of legal reserves and permanently protected areas, leading to the recovery of at least 30,000 hectares of degraded land.

A Leader in Supply Chain Sustainability

World Wildlife Fund has extensive expertise in leading collaborative and multistakeholder platforms among sectors and industries to help improve sustainability across supply chains. For more than 25 years, we have led the development of sustainability standards and certification systems, helping multiple actors work together to address common sustainability and supply chain issues. We also work with companies and sectors to implement supply chain sustainability programs in critical conservation areas around the world.

Since 2023, WWF has been a leading partner of the Deforestation-Free Call to Action for Leather, a joint initiative with Leather Working Group and Textile Exchange that asks brands and retailers to commit to sourcing leather from deforestation- and conversion-free supply chains by 2030 or earlier. The Call to Action currently has 22 signatory companies representing more than $300 billion in annual revenue.

Get Involved

To learn more about the Deforestation-Free Leather Fund and how your company can help build more sustainable, climate-friendly leather supply chains, please contact us: [email protected].