VF Corp confirmed their decision to suspend purchasing Brazilian leather. In fact, as previously disclosed by Fernando Bello, CICB executive president, the US holding company, which is in control over a few brands, such as Timberland and Wrangler, has been demanding guarantees from suppliers about their product environmental sustainability.
The statement
As reported by Reuters press agency, VF Corp issued a release to make public their decision on Thursday. In their statement, the group did not directly hint at fires currently underway in Amazonia, which are striking and burning down Brazil’s forest areas, though they announced they will no longer purchase Brazilian leather before they can “trust and be sure that materials employed in our products will not be detrimental to the national environment”. VF Corp did not specify how much they currently buy, in terms of volumes, from Brazil. Yet, at the same time, the group made clear that none of their suppliers is compliant with required guarantees.
