Leather is a good material for many applications and its here to stay. The question is weather the process of getting the leather from the cow ( or any other animal ) to the consumer is ethical. Its a complicated and debatable topic subject to perspective and opinion. For now lets look at the facts:

• Leather is a by-product – Most of the value in a cow comes from the meat which represents up to 90% of the profit for the farmer. The skins are sold for minimal gain.
• To turn raw hide into a finished wallet or handbag involves up to 42 processes.
• Leather is a renewable natural resource – Synthetic leather makes for a poor leather substitute and causes its own environmental issues.
• Leather is used in a wide range of products from wallets to watches.   Leather makes a contribution to the quality of everyday life and has done so for centuries.
• The value of world production of leather estimated for 2018 is  Aus$65billion of which the majority of sales is from leather shoes.

The main issue revolving around the production of leather is not its usefulness but how the animals are treated in the slaughtering process.  In most first world countries there are strict regulations implemented by governments to control the production of meat and leather so as to eliminate animal cruelty and unethical practices. Because there are many countries that produce raw hides for the leather industry, we can not have one definitive outcome when it comes to the treatment of cows and other leather producing animals.

The two main countries that produce leather products is China and India. This is mainly due to cheap labor costs but also because many of the chemicals used in the tanning process are toxic and have been banned in many first world countries. One of the main chemicals used in leather tanning is chromium.  The carcinogenity of chromium has been known for a long time.  In minute doses it is harmless but over exposure can lead to a multitude of serious illness.   Many countries such as Australia and New Zealand have very few tanneries left.  Those that are still around use vegetable tanning.  The problem with vegetable tanning is cost.  It takes longer and therefore costs more to produce vegetable tanned leather.

China and India produce the most leather products but the biggest exporter of raw hides is Italy. 

The graph below shows the leading raw hide exporters:

Leather is a good material for many applications and its here to stay. The question is weather the process of getting the leather from the cow ( or any other animal ) to the consumer is ethical. Its a complicated and debatable topic subject to perspective and opinion. For now lets look at the facts:

• Leather is a by-product – Most of the value in a cow comes from the meat which represents up to 90% of the profit for the farmer. The skins are sold for minimal gain.
• To turn raw hide into a finished wallet or handbag involves up to 42 processes.
• Leather is a renewable natural resource – Synthetic leather makes for a poor leather substitute and causes its own environmental issues.
• Leather is used in a wide range of products from wallets to watches.   Leather makes a contribution to the quality of everyday life and has done so for centuries.
• The value of world production of leather estimated for 2018 is  Aus$65billion of which the majority of sales is from leather shoes.

The main issue revolving around the production of leather is not its usefulness but how the animals are treated in the slaughtering process.  In most first world countries there are strict regulations implemented by governments to control the production of meat and leather so as to eliminate animal cruelty and unethical practices. Because there are many countries that produce raw hides for the leather industry, we can not have one definitive outcome when it comes to the treatment of cows and other leather producing animals.

The two main countries that produce leather products is China and India. This is mainly due to cheap labor costs but also because many of the chemicals used in the tanning process are toxic and have been banned in many first world countries. One of the main chemicals used in leather tanning is chromium.  The carcinogenity of chromium has been known for a long time.  In minute doses it is harmless but over exposure can lead to a multitude of serious illness.   Many countries such as Australia and New Zealand have very few tanneries left.  Those that are still around use vegetable tanning.  The problem with vegetable tanning is cost.  It takes longer and therefore costs more to produce vegetable tanned leather.

China and India produce the most leather products but the biggest exporter of raw hides is Italy. 

The graph below shows the leading raw hide exporters:

So lets examine the slaughter regulations in this country first and then work our way down the list in order:

1. Italy

Italy currently has legislation that protects animals from cruelty.  The Criminal Code contains provisions relevant to the protection of animals.  In particular, killing an animal cruelly or unnecessarily , cruelly or unnecessarily causing injury to an animal or subjecting it to torture, behavior or overwork. The Criminal Code includes a range of possible punishments, including fines and imprisonment.  The legislation contains sufficient detail and covers situations of negligence by prohibiting keeping animals in conditions which cause great suffering.  

So when examining the biggest raw hide exporter in the world we can see that the government has introduced legislation to prevent animal cruelty.  Additionally, the EU (Of which Italy is a member)  in 2009 adopted Council Regulation  1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing which started to apply on 1 January 2013. The EU legislation on the killing of animals aims to minimize the pain and suffering of animals through the use of properly approved stunning methods. It applies to farmed animals.

In October 2017, the Commission concluded a study on the “Preparation of best practices on the protection of animals at the time of killing”. The Commission adopted on 8 February 2016 a report on restraining bovine animals by inversion or any unnatural positions:

Report

Executive summary of the study

Study restraining systems for bovine animals slaughtered without stunning, welfare and socio-economic implications (BOREST)

It is suffice to say that there is enough legislation in Italy (and the EU)  to protect animals from animal cruelty.

2. U.S.A. 

The U.S.A. has Humane Slaughter Act, or the Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter Act. It is a United States federal law designed to decrease suffering of livestock during slaughter. It was approved on August 27, 1958.  The most notable of these requirements is the need to have an animal completely sedated and insensible to pain. This is to minimize the suffering to the point where the animal feels nothing at all, instead losing a consciousness from which they will never awaken. This differs from animal to animal as size increases and decreases. Larger animals such as bovines require a stronger method than chickens, for example. Bovines require electronarcosis or something equally potent, though electronarcosis remains a standard.

Again we can be re assured that the animals in this country are protected by law from animal cruelty.

3. Brazil

Surprisingly Brazil has one of the strictest and oldest animal protection laws in the world.  

Brazil’s first animal welfare law was a 1924 decree prohibiting “carrying out any behavior or recreation that cause[s] suffering to animals.”A more comprehensive 1934 decree stipulated that animals not be overworked or kept where they cannot breathe properly, move, or rest, or are deprived of air or light, and that animals be given a quick death (whether or not they are for human consumption). The decree also prohibits abandoning a sick, injured or mutilated animal and failing to provide an animal with “all that is necessary”, including veterinary assistance. Lawyers from the Public Ministry or from animal protection organizations are allowed to assist animals in court giving animals a degree of legal standing which they lack in many countries such as the United States.

Brazil’s constitution (1988) states that the government must protect animals from cruelty. In 1997 this constitutional protection was invoked in a historic decision by the Brazilian Supreme Court to uphold a ban on Farra do Boi, a festival involving the torture and killing of bulls and oxen in the state of Santa Catarina.

Again , animal protection is ratified by strict laws.

So, out of the top 3 raw hide exporters ( which make up about 50 % of raw hide production) all countries have strict legeslative mechanisims in place to outlaw primitive a cruel treatment of animals.

4. Hong Kong / China

China currently has no animal-welfare laws although in 2006 the National People’s Congress introduced the first nationwide animal-protection law in China and in September 2009 the first comprehensive Animal protection law of the People’s Republic of China was introduced.

Its early days for animal protection legislation in China but it is making steps towards protecting animal welfare.  Fortunately, many leather product manufacturers and retailers in Australia will avoid buying leather from China because of its lack of control of animal protection and poor quality of leather.  Luggage and bags are China’s biggest leather export by far.

5. Germany

Germany’s Animal Welfare Act makes it an offence to willfully or negligently inflict substantial pain, suffering, or injury to an animal without reasonable cause. The Act specifies a list of prohibited acts, including overloading, training using significant pain, suffering or damage, abandonment, and force-feeding other than for health reasons. The Act’s duty of care and anti-cruelty requirements apply to farmed animals. Particularly relevant are the prohibitions on force-feeding and the use of devices which significantly limit the species-specific behavior of an animal. The Act requires stunning of warm-blooded animals before slaughter, with an exemption for religious slaughter.  Like Italy, secondary regulations also include the incorporation of European Union legislation on farm animal welfare.

6. India

It may surprise you to know that India is leading the way when it comes to animal protection rights. India is the ninth largest exporter of leather and leather products.  Under the current trade laws of India, the export and import of beef (meat of cow, oxen and calf) is prohibited.  Therefore the leather used in India for production is often imported. The main exporter of raw hides to India is Italy which as we discussed earlier has strict laws governing animal welfare.

India’s first national animal welfare law, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, criminalizes cruelty to animals. The 1960 law also created the Animal Welfare Board of India to ensure the anti-cruelty provisions were enforced and promote the cause of animal welfare.

Cattle slaughter is illegal in all but two Indian states.  In 2014 India became the first country in Asia to ban all testing of cosmetics on animals and the import of cosmetics tested on animals.

7. Australia

Australia has legislation protecting animal welfare in all states.  The legislation is seperate in each state.  Due to high labour costs and the banning of tanning chemicals, most hides are exported and the finshed leather product is then imported.

One of the main animal protection agencies is known as  RSPCA Australia (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).  It is an Australian peak organisation established in 1981 to promote animal welfare. The national body is funded in part by the Australian Government but relies on corporate sponsorship.RSPCA Australia defines its purpose as being the leading authority in animal care and protection, and to prevent cruelty to animals by actively promoting their care and protection.

Conclusion

6 out of 7 of the top leather producing countries have strict laws protecting animals from cruel and unethical practises.  As with any industy there will always be rougue operators that stray from the law but its reasuring to know the overwhelming majority of animal hide producers conduct their business in line within legislative framework provided and enforced by governments.

While China still has a long way to go, changes in laws are slowly being implemented to protect animals.  Whilst introduction of legislation may stem the issue, there are stilll cultural hurdles to overcome.

The consumer can opt to not buy leather products made in China until they come up to speed with animal protection. This action alone may help to reduce animal cruelty in the industry.