Nike has stopped all imports of leather from the Amazon region of Brazil, after a Greenpeace report claimed that its shoes and trainers could be speeding up the destruction of the world’s largest rainforest and contributing to global warming.
The report, published last month, revealed how cattle hides from deforested areas were entering the supply chains of global brands including Nike, Clarks, Adidas and Reebok.
According to the NGO, deforestation for cattle ranching in Brazil alone is now the biggest driver of deforestation anywhere in the world.
A Nike spokesman will release the new company policy at their headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon this morning.
Speaking about the massive success of the campaign, Sarah Shoraka, Greenpeace forest campaigner said, “Nike has recognised that trampling over the Amazon rainforest to produce leather for its trainers is an unacceptable way of doing business. Preparing land for cattle ranching is now the single biggest cause of deforestation in the world and a major driver of climate change.
“Nike has taken a bold step, and now we need to see other companies follow their lead.”
Nike suppliers will now have until July 2010 to establish a fully traceable supply chain providing reliable proof that any leather used for Nike shoes has not been sourced from recently deforested areas.
Image Credit: 708718
