The 6th Sustainable Leather Forum to be held in Paris | kbnmart

The 6th edition of the Sustainable Leather Forum, an event organized by French Leather Alliance (AFC, French Leather Alliance, formerly known as National Leather Council) It will start on September 9 at the Maison de la Chimie in Paris, and will continue with online business meetings the following day.

The Sustainable Leather Forum will feature five roundtable discussions on specific topics, ranging from changes in breeding practices and issues related to traceability and deforestation, to the environmental footprint of leather, the French tanning industry, and the questions raised by the use of plastics in fashion and sport.

A new CSR benchmark for the French leather goods industry will also be presented at the event. “The studies conducted in partnership with experts, including CTC, have enabled us to establish a new reference framework that will strengthen and accelerate the spread of CSR practices,” said AFC.

Speakers on the first day include executives from Hermès Cuirs Précieux, Hermès Maroquinerie Sellerie, Tanneries Roux (owned by LVMH Métiers d’Art), Mégisserie de La Molière, APC, Gainerie 91, Zei-World, REgn and Polivia. Organisations represented include the Leather and Hide Traders Association (ICHSLTA), World Wildlife Fund, the International Trade Centre, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and several French leather industry associations.

Also among the speakers was Delphine Neumeister, Vice President of the Society and Livestock Department at the IDELE Animal Husbandry Institute (Institute of Advancement), and Rachel Colby Simhon, Head of Sustainable Sourcing and Nature Initiatives at Kering. In the afternoon, in addition to roundtable discussions, several startups will present their innovations, while author Raphael Enthoven will speak at a dinner for paying guests.

The Sustainable Leather Forum is scheduled to take place just weeks after the American Leather Federation elects a new president, Christophe Diehard, who replaces Frank Bohle.

The Confederation of French Industries brings together 21 industry associations across the entire French leather and hide sector, representing 12,800 companies and providing 133,000 jobs. France is the world’s third-largest exporter of hides, skins and leather goods. Last year, French exports grew by 6% in value to €19 billion.