CO Data

Leather and Sustainable Leather: Size of Production

Global trade in raw leather is buoyant and is set to grow by 4 percent a year. Developing countries supply more than half the world’s raw leather. Whie environmental audits assess around a fifth of footwear leather.

Leather is one of the oldest materials used by humans for clothing and it remains an important fabric particularly for footwear and accessories. Leather, as a tanned animal skin, is typically sourced from the hides of bovine animals, as well as sheep and goats. Hides can also be sourced from other species such as ostrich, crocodile, snake and even salmon.

3.8 billion animals used for leather each year

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that around 3.8 billion cows and…

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29 May 2018
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