Deforestation in the leather supply chain takes centre stage in Milan and Paris
On February 20, 2024, at the Science-based Fashion Talks of the Lineapelle fair in Milan, COTANCE-UNIC held a joint session titled "The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) n. 1115/2023 and the Traceability Challenge in the Bovine Leather Supply Chain", featuring key representatives from UNIC - Concerie Italiane, COTANCE, SPIN 360, AL-INVEST Verde, and Matelli / Italian Leather Arbitration Chamber.
During this session, which gathered over 60 attendees on-site, the speakers explored the implications of the newly enacted EU Deforestation Regulation and the state of play of leather traceability in major markets, assessing its impact on global leather supply chains. They also discussed both the challenges and opportunities presented by the regulation of the international leather trade.
The Session Recording is available here
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On 22 February 2024, in Paris at the OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear sector, COTANCE Secretary General, Mr Gustavo Gonzalez-Quijano, along with other panellists such as Deborah Taylor (Sustainable Leather Foundation), Francisco Beduschi Neto (National Wildlife Federation), Julia Kozlik (PEFC International), Rogerio De Souza Cunha (Brazilian leather Trade Intelligence), Ruaraidh Petre (Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef) and Stuart Cranfield (Leather Working Group), discussed the challenges of strict traceability related to mandatory due diligence on deforestation risks in leather supply chains and regulatory compliance. 
The Workshop speakers converged in saying that leather is not a driver of deforestation, which made people wonder why at all the EUDR was including it in its scope. Yet, the industry says that it is not opposed to traceability, on the contrary, but such an objective requires more time, more public-private cooperation and also technology and investments.
Indeed, the rigorous traceability requirements mandated by the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) present a significant challenge for the global leather supply chain. With the regulation's entry into application looming in just 10 months, the capability for geolocation tracing back to the animal's birthplace is virtually non-existent anywhere, today not even in the EU, apart from a few small-scale pilot projects.
The recording of the OECD session on Deforestation is available here
OECD-FAO Business Handbook on Deforestation and Due Diligence in Agricultural Supply Chains