The Sustainable Leather Forum returns to Paris on September 8

The annual Sustainable Leather Forum, the leather industry’s annual event, will be held on September 8 at the Maison de la Chimie. The Alliance France Cuir is focusing this seventh edition on water, which will be the central theme of this day of conferences.

Water protection will be addressed by representatives from the Centre d’études de la mer, the NGO WWF , the International Council of Tanners, the tannery solutions specialist Qualus, and Tanneries Haas.

“Among the challenges facing the industry, water scarcity, in particular, is forcing us to change our practices,” says Christophe Dehard, president of the Alliance France Cuir. “We must rethink our water consumption patterns, from the field to the finished product. The entire leather value chain is affected.”The issue of crocodile farming, the recycling of unsold items in the sector, eco-design of shoes and leather goods, socio-environmental responsibility in sneakers, and traceability in the leather industry and the impact of changes in the agricultural world on it will also

be addressed. Speakers include representatives from the International Crocodile Breeders Association, Atelier des Matières,  Textile Exchange , Les Cuirs de l’Ouest, Refashion, and Veja . Not to mention speeches from Authenticae, La Belle Empreinte , Carbonfact, Spin 360, Textile Genesis, Trustrace, and Planet-Score.

“We designed the SLF as a space for dialogue to promote good practices, encourage reflection, and support each company in the concrete implementation of social and environmental responsibility,” says Marc Brunel, CEO of Alliance France Cuir. This underlines that the meeting also aims to maintain a dynamic of long-term transformation of the sector.

Bringing together the various federations that make up the French leather industry, the Alliance France Cuir represents some 12,800 companies in the sector, generating 133,000 jobs and €25 billion in turnover, the vast majority of which comes from exports.