Full-coverage monitoring for its direct suppliers. Creating a system to favor control over indirect ones. The launch of Full Traceable Leather to guarantee the origin of the hides across the entire chain. Minerva Leather, tanning division of Brazilian meat group Minerva Foods, is investing resources and making strives in favor of traceability.
Traceability according to Minerva Leather
“Traceability plays a fundamental role within the sustainability efforts of Minerva Foods in 2021”, said the director of Minerva Leather, Alessandro Sousa. Efforts “leading to initiatives to fight illegal deforestation and climate change tied to the conversion of forest areas in South America”.
Full-coverage monitoring
The key word is monitoring. “The company monitors 100% of its direct suppliers (all areas) in Brazil (Amazon, Cerrado, Pantanal, Caatinga and Atlantic Forest), Paraguay and Colombia. It’s already at 90% in Argentina and 40% in Uruguay”, says Sousa. Expectations? Reaching 100% coverage in these countries by 2030 and 2025 respectively. Indirect suppliers will also be part of the monitoring activities, thanks to a dedicated tool. This allows “all rural producers of Brazil to check their conformity with the production chain, in terms of socio-environmental aspects”. What they are using is the SMGEO Prospec, an app developed in partnership with Niceplanet Geotecnologia.
Full Traceable Leather
Another project launched in 2022 is Full Traceable Leather. The project – says Minerva Leather – aims to track “leather from guaranteed origin that follows rigorous and controlled processes ensuring traceability and for the monitoring of the entire chain. From farm to the end consumer”. An ambitious project that saw the company exporting Full Traceable wet blue leather for the first time in December 2023.
Read also:
- Brazil, JBS Couros traces 8,000 suppliers (and aims to 12,000)
- The challenges of calculating the average carbon footprint of leather
