- Title: Owner of Timberland, Vans stops buying Brazilian leather as Amazon burns
- Date: 29th August 2019
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 29, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TIMBERLAND STORE EXTERIOR VARIOUS OF SIGN IN WINDOW READING (English): 'NATURE NEEDS HEROES' TIMBERLAND BOOT ON DISPLAY SIGN IN WINDOW READING (English): 'NATURE NEEDS HEROES' VARIOUS OF TIMBERLAND BOOT ON DISPLAY RONDONIA, BRAZIL (AUGUST 27, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FIRE BURNING AMAZON RAINFOREST ALTAMIRA REGION, PARA, BRAZIL (AUGUST 27, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FIRES AT NIGHT
- Embargoed: 12th September 2019 18:28
- Keywords: Amazon rainforest fire Timberland Vans North Face Brazilian leather Brazilian President Bolsonaro
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES / RONDONIA + ALTAMIRA, PARA, BRAZIL
- City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES / RONDONIA + ALTAMIRA, PARA, BRAZIL
- Country: USA
- Topics: Company News Markets,Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA001AU9VTJB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The U.S. parent company of apparel and shoe brands Timberland, Vans and the North Face will no longer buy Brazilian leather, it said on Thursday (August 29), as surging forest fires in the Amazon raise questions about how companies are contributing to the destruction of the world's largest rainforest.
Thousands of forest fires in the Amazon have been raging for weeks, which has already led to heightened scrutiny of Brazil's beef industry, one of the country's main economic engines.
The holding company for major shoe and apparel brands, VF Corp, said it would resume buying Brazilian leather when "we have the confidence and assurance that the materials used in our products do not contribute to environmental harm in the country."
The move was one of the first signs of a concrete economic impact from the controversy over the fires, which Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has insisted are under control.
Environmentalists claim that fires were set by real estate speculators and ranchers, as it is common practice to clear land for agricultural use.
According to the Center for the Brazilian Tanning Industry, the main leather trade group in Brazil, the country exported $1.44 billion (USD) of bovine leather in 2018. Its largest export markets were the United States, China and Italy, which together consumed about 60% of Brazilian leather exports in 2018.
(Production: Mike Wood, Angela Moore) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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