H&M stops buying Brazilian leather over Amazon rainforest fires

Fashion retailer H&M said Friday it is suspending leather purchases from Brazil to make sure it is not supporting cattle farming that may be contributing to the fires in the Amazon rainforest.

The move by the Stockholm-based company follows a similar decision by the maker of Vans and Timberland shoes. Some international investors are also trying to put pressure on the Brazilian government, which has been seen too lax in its approach to protecting the rainforest.

“Due to the severe fires in the Brazilian part of the Amazon rainforest, and the connections to cattle production, we have decided to place a temporary ban on leather from Brazil,” the company said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch.

The world’s second-largest clothing retailer reiterated that the ban is temporary and will remain in effect until “there are credible assurance systems in place to verify that the leather does not contribute to environmental harm in the Amazon.”

Last week, VF Corp., the owner of Timberland, Vans and several other shoe and clothing brands said it also stopped buying leather from Brazil because of the rainforest fires.

The current fires in the Amazon are largely attributed to people clearing the forest for cattle ranching and crops. About 60% of the Amazon rainforest is in Brazil.

 

Via CBS