Smarter sourcing - the key to sustainability

The Moodie Davitt Report shares the impressive future roadmap, announced by luxury giant Kering. They equate the term luxury with sustainable in their new vision for the future, where the company commits to a 40% reduction of its environmental footprint. The most important lesson the company shares, is that 93% of their environmental footprint comes from their supply chain and thus is liked directly to their way of sourcing.

The most notable thing is that Kering is not switching to ‘green alternatives’, which are mostly synthetic solutions, like so-called vegan leathers. They stick to the materials we’ve known for generations, as they represent qualities and style that is timeless. Yet, the method of sourcing is changing and that is a bold statement that matters today. For example, Kering claims that already 73% of their leather is traceable and thanks to a commitment to regenerative farming, there is absolutely no reason to switch to alternatives.

Why is this such an important commitment? Many efforts that are expressed in media concerning sustainability, focus on alternatives that are rarely an improvement and often, in fact, a detrimental to the environment. Most of these are plastics or contain large quantities of plastic, which is the material we find in the bodies of aquatic creatures. True sustainability can only exist when the whole supply chain does its part, and that’s the commitment Kering focuses on.

Already, they have projects underway for sustainable leather sourcing from Mongolia and other locations. Here the cattle actually contributes to regenerative efforts to improve the soil. Soil, often described as one of the least exciting sustainability issues, is after all where we grow the crops that feed us. One could even say that enriched soils make our lives richer.

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