PrimeAsia expands Responsibly Raised
Leather manufacturing group PrimeAsia has extended its Responsibly Raised initiative to include cattle farms in Brazil.
The group launched Responsibly Raised in February with the aim of promoting good practice in the leather supply chain. The initiative identifies and promotes projects that contribute to positive change in the leather supply chain such as by championing enhanced transparency, better use of resources, fair labour conditions and sound animal welfare standards.
For example, PrimeAsia partnered with hide supplier Tyson Foods to create leathers from fresh hides from a Tyson programme called Open Prairie Natural Meats. This project ensures that the cattle are all responsibly raised, with strict third-party verification, including animal care standards that all partners and all employees must meet. The animals have a 100% vegetarian diet, and are raised with no antibiotics, no added hormones and no growth-enhancements. Leathers made from this Tyson programme are traceable to the cattle’s place of birth and throughout the production cycle.
The tanning group has now also identified farms in Brazil offering certified cattle for the organic beef market, the hides from which will now qualify as Responsibly Raised. For this, it will work with Minerva Foods and its organic beef programme. This programme uses geospatial technology to identify and block any suppliers involved in illegal deforestation, intrusion onto indigenous land and protected areas, or poor labour conditions for employees.
An online platform will allow PrimeAsia to trace all hides in the programme in real time back to the farm of birth, confirming compliance against standards laid out in the Responsibly Raised initiative.
Leather made from these hides will offer brands material deriving from farms that work according to organic practices such as the responsible use of natural resources, use of rotation management and other pasture management techniques, the monitoring of soil health and fertility, protection of water sources and avoidance of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers.
PrimeAsia said this expansion meant the group would now be able to produce Responsibly Raised versions of the majority of the leather articles in its range, broadening the options of its customers in the footwear industry.
