Episode 3 of our Vegan Fashion Masterclass is LIVE!
Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFrgnpRwDRE
The global leather industry is a behemoth, generating close to five hundred billion dollars annually. When you buy a pair of leather shoes, you might think you’re making a sustainable choice—using what would otherwise be waste from the meat industry. But the truth is, leather isn’t simply a byproduct of the meat industry—it’s a contributing co-product helping to drive animal agriculture.
Let’s break this down. A byproduct is something secondary—an incidental outcome of a primary process. For example, sawdust is a byproduct of cutting wood. But leather is no afterthought. It’s a valuable co-product, meaning its production is a deliberate and integral part of animal farming economics.
The global leather industry is valued at over $450 billion, making it a highly profitable sector that contributes significantly to the financial viability of animal agriculture. Meat producers strategically price and sell hides to tanneries, making leather an important economic driver, not just waste disposal.
In major slaughterhouses, leather can account for up to 26% of earnings and some industries—like luxury fashion and automotive upholstery—place such high value on leather that it often outweighs the value of the meat itself. In fact, the leather industry is so lucrative that it operates independently in many regions.
Let’s talk about Brazil, for example. It’s one of the world’s largest exporters of leather, and its cattle ranching industry is a leading cause of Amazon deforestation. Land is cleared not only to meet the demand for beef but also to fuel the leather industry, which generates billions in global trade annually. Meaning that the more we demand leather, the more animals are bred and killed—not for food, but for fashion.
And it’s not just cattle. Exotic leather industries have created entire supply chains around animals like alligators, snakes, and ostriches. These animals aren’t raised for meat—they’re farmed or hunted specifically for their skins. And what about baby cows?
The leather industry promotes calf leather for its luxury appeal, the younger the calf, the softer and more desirable the leather, leading to deliberate breeding and premature slaughter. Calves are often separated from their mothers shortly after birth and slaughtered at a young age to ensure their skin remains soft and smooth, a key selling point for luxury brands. The next time someone claims that leather is just a "natural by-product," they need to understand that calf leather is an intentional, cruel, and environmentally harmful industry.
The leather industry’s marketing plays a big role in this deception. By framing leather as a byproduct, it’s painted as a sustainable choice, diverting attention from its role as a major contributor to environmental destruction, animal suffering, and climate change. It’s time we question the narrative.
Leather isn’t an innocent offshoot of the meat industry—it’s a powerful global industry in its own right, fueling animal agriculture and all its associated harms. In our next episode, we’ll dive into next-generation plant based vegan materials and whether they can truly compete with traditional leather. You might be surprised by what we uncover.
Stay tuned!
At Voes & Co, we believe in reimagining what luxury fashion looks like.
Our mission is to create beautiful, high-quality, and durable vegan leather products that are ethical, sustainable, and cruelty-free. From vegan Chelsea boots to vegan sneakers, we prioritize innovation, using next generation plant based materials.
Our products are designed for conscious consumers who refuse to compromise on style, comfort, or their values. By supporting brands like Voes & Co, you’re not just choosing vegan shoes or designer vegan fashion; you’re choosing a future where fashion doesn’t harm animals, people, or the planet.
SOURCES:
https://www.collectivefashionjustice.org/a...
https://bitesizevegan.org/is-leather-a-byp...
https://goodonyou.eco/is-leather-a-by-prod...
https://www.peta.org/features/the-cruel-co....
https://goodonyou.eco/the-hidden-costs-of-... https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandn... https://www.peta.org.uk/blog/coproduct-lea...
https://www.rheom.com/blog/is-animal-leath...
https://bitesizevegan.org/guide-to-vegan-l...
