The Impacts and Challenges of Animal Agriculture in the Fashion Supply Chain
As awareness of climate change and environmental issues grow, consumers are increasingly examining the environmental impact of their choices. Animal agriculture, a key part of global material production, notably for leather, faces increasing challenges as businesses and consumers demand sustainability and the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) begins to bite.
In this article we explore the complexities of sustainable sourcing in animal agriculture, including its environmental, ethical, legislative and business implications.
Read on to discover:
Animal Agriculture as a Food Source
Animal-Derived Materials in Clothing and Shoes
Ethical Implications of Animal Agriculture
What Effect is Animal Agriculture Having on the Environment?
Business Implications: Why Supply Chain Transparency Matters
How to Achieve Sustainability in Animal Agriculture
How Segura Works With Retailers to Achieve Sustainable Sourcing in Animal Agriculture
What is Animal Agriculture?
Exploring sustainability issues
Animal Agriculture is the practice of breeding animals for the production of animal products and for recreational purposes.
Animal agriculture refers to the breeding of animals for food, clothing, and other purposes which can include labour, recreation and research. While it has been integral to human survival for thousands of years, its scale and practices have changed dramatically to meet modern consumer demands.
As the animal agriculture industry has grown, it has become widely acknowledged that it plays a major role in environmental damage, contributing to climate change, habitat destruction and excessive waste.
As consumer awareness grows, so does scrutiny over the ethical and environmental impacts of animal agriculture. New legislation and regulation is driving significant changes regarding sustainability within the industry.
Animal Agriculture as a Food Source
Challenges and Impacts
For thousands of years humans have eaten meat, milk and eggs, all produced from animals as a source of protein and of course today we still eat massive amounts of animal products. Figures show that in recent years, the average UK citizen will consume 854g of meat each week.
However, the way animals are bred and raised significantly impacts sustainability.
Intensive Farming Practices
It’s common to think that cows in the UK are solely fed on grass. However, even in the UK cattle are very rarely raised on grass provisions alone; but are "finished" on grains, which requires vast resources.
In other parts of the world, deforestation has taken place on a massive scale to make space for cattle farming to produce meat and leather products.
Genetic and Nutritional Advances
Modern chickens are up to four times heavier than their 1950s counterparts, boosting farmer profits but raising ethical concerns.
Hormone Use
While growth hormones are common in Canada and the US, they are banned in the EU due to health and environmental risks
Animal-Derived Materials in Clothing & Shoes
Ethical and Environmental Concerns
A University of Florida study concluded that humans wearing clothing dates back 170,000 years – with climate factors around that time it is assumed that animal skin or fur was worn by humans for warmth.
Fast forward to the 21st Century, animal-based materials like leather, fur, wool, and silk are still widely used in the garment industry in the manufacture of shoes, clothing, bedding, furnishings and carpets.
Today the production of animal derived materials brings alive several ethical and environmental dilemmas. Some key concerns and impacts regarding animal agriculture for materials include:
Deforestation
In Brazil, making space to raise cattle is responsible for 80% of the Amazon’s deforestation. There are steps being taken to combat deforestation. For example, the EUDR (European Union Deforestation Regulation comes into force on 30th December 2024. The legislation will require companies to ensure the products sold in the EU come from land that wasn't deforested after 31st December 2020.
Read our essential guide for fashion retailers to achieve EUDR compliance here.
Fashion retailers will be required to prove that supply chains for leather do not contribute to forest degradation or destruction. EUDR compliance means having end-to-end visibility of supply chains, knowing where cattle are located and backing this up with robust geographical data. Supply chain mapping below tier 2 is the criticial first step in achieving this.
Fur Farming
Concerns about the ethics and potential cruelty of fur farming have been widely documented. Although banned in the UK, fur imports remain legal. The new Labour government in the UK, has tabled a bill to ban fur imports into the UK which would prevent the sale of animal fur altogether; this is because although fur farming is prohibited in the UK, it still allows fur imports. Some brands and retailers have banned the use of real fur due to pressures from conscious consumers.
Others argue against the ban on fur saying that most animals in countries like the USA have excellent nutrition and are treated are cared for. Futhermore, they say that there are no comparable alternatives that provide the same level of warmth, are as biodegradable and as sustainable as genuine leather or fur.
However, the sustainability of materials like leather remains highly contentious. Forests are being cleared to support cattle farming, the process is extremely water-intensive, and the use of harsh chemicals in leather finishing contributes to significant environmental pollution. Despite these challenges, advocates argue that leather has the potential to become a net-zero material through the adoption of innovative technologies and sustainable practices such as regenerative agriculture.
KAngaroo Leather
Other animal products such as Kangaroo leather are used by brands. The kangaroo industry in Australia is a government regulated enterprise , where licenced operators can hunt certain kangaroo species from their wild habitat, in order to control population and prevent overgrazing. Their meat and skins are harvested, the latter often used called k-leather is a particularly strong material, often used for motocycle leathers and Amercian football boots.
Tanning and Dyeing
Tanning and dyeing processes often use harsh chemicals and also end up contaminating waterways. Recent data highlights the severe environmental impact of tannery waste. In Dhaka, Bangladesh, tanneries discharge approximately 22 million litres of untreated waste into rivers daily. This waste contains harmful chemicals, including chromium, which significantly pollute water sources and destroy local ecosystems.
The use of excessive amounts of sulphide and chromium in tanning processes give rise to high concentrations in the effluents. Sulphide, chromium and phenols are among the most hazardous among pollutants from the tanneries. Chlorinated phenols are reported to be carcinogenic and harmful to aquatic life and animals that drink the water.
Fast Fashion’s Impact
With over 100 billion garments produced annually, the reliance on animal-based fibers exacerbates resource depletion.
Globally, we’re producing over 100 billion new garments from new fibres every single year, and the planet cannot sustain that.
Ethical Implications of Animal Agriculture
Shifting Consumer Attitudes
A growing number of consumers are reconsidering the morality of using animals for food and materials. For example, evidence shows a decline in meat consumption across the UK. 2024 statistics show athat 4.7% of the UK population is vegan and 5.8% of the UK’s population is vegetarian.
In fact, UK meat consumption is at its lowest levels since records began.
These welcome new statistics show that consumers are increasingly responding to the meat industry’s terrible animal protection, environmental and health credentials by cutting down on and cutting out animal products.
Luke Steele, Farming and Slaughter Campaigns ManagerAnimal Aid
Statistics also show that consumers are also changing their attitudes towards the use of animal derived materials in the fashion industry too. The Vegan Society reports that 95% of shoppers would like to see more vegan-verified fashion options. 61% say the use of fur is cruel, 37% think the use of cow leather is cruel and 57% believe using leather from ‘exotic’ animals is too.
A Yougov poll shows globally consumer demand for ethically sourced animal products is high. Of highest concern (82%) is the usage of fur, followed by down feather (59%) and wool (33%).
It seems that there could be a shift in beliefs with more people feeling that animals should have rights equal to that of humans. Although many people still do not believe that animals should have the same rights, they feel that animals have important interests that should not be violated.
What Effect is Animal Agriculture Having on the Environment?
Recent claims suggest that the fast fashion industry is the second most polluting industry. Animal-based fibres, such as leather, are purportedly some of the worst for the environment. We’ve already highlighted how the chemicals used to treat the materials such as leather are polluting waterways and chemically-treated materials often aren't biodegradable.
Another major global effect that animal agriculture has, is climate change. Here is why:
- Water and land are used to grow crops to feed animals.
- The crops and water are used to bulk up animals for slaughter.
- The animals emit noxious levels of CO2, methane gas, and excrement that pollute our air and waterways.
- Animals are transported and processed in large factory-style slaughterhouses, and their body parts are packaged and shipped across the country.
In addition to this, according to a scientific report, every pound of methane is more than 84 times as effective as carbon dioxide is at trapping heat in our atmosphere.
Business Implications: Why Supply Chain Transparency Matters
For businesses, sustainable sourcing is not just a moral imperative—it’s a business necessity.
Companies must ensure they have full visibility into the origins of the meat or by-products they sell, verifying not only their safety for human use but also the ethical standards of their sourcing practices. When products are traced back to unethical or inhumane treatment of animals, the brand itself bears the consequences, including reputational damage and loss of consumer trust. This underscores the importance of supply chain transparency as a key strategy for businesses to mitigate the risk of poor consumer perception and brand image.
An example is the controversy surrounding Canada Goose, a brand synonymous with luxury outerwear. The company emphasised its commitment to sustainability and ethical practices, stating that materials for $1000 parkas came from humanely sourced goose feathers and fur from coyotes in “overpopulated” regions. However, after an Investigation from the Federal Trade Commission about “potentially false and misleading advertising”, Canada Goose backed off the claim. It also changed the wording on its documentation. The brand no longer claimed to “ensure” ethical sourcing but instead stated that it’s “committed to” ethical sourcing. This incident not only tarnished Canada Goose's reputation but also highlights how important supply chain visibility is in order to prevent unethical supplier behaviour and the potential consequences such as bad PR, loss of customer loyalty, and even boycotting.
Lack of visibility over the supply chain could also result in brands having no knowledge of where products are sourced from and being unable to mitigate risks effectively. This leads to lack of control over whether meat is safe for human consumption, whether leather is being sourced from an ethical farm, or whether they should be sourcing from somewhere else.
How to Achieve Sustainability in Animal Agriculture
While eliminating animal agriculture may not be feasible, improving its sustainability is within reach.
Steps Towards Ethical Sourcing:
Do You Know Your Suppliers beyond Tier 2?
Within the fashion industry, knowing who your suppliers are, is the first step to achieving a sustainable and ethical supply chain. Mapping your supplier network beyond tier 1 and tier 2 takes time, but will reap rewards. With this level of transparency, a brand is able to make more informed sourcing decisions, you will have the confirmation that their audited factories are the ones producing their products, and know the location of farms that raise the cattle or other animal products. This is particularly important to ensure EUDR compliance. You must establish where your supply chain risks are, are the farms you're sourcing cattle hides from potentially in a deforested area, for example?
Do you Have a streamlined method to ensure your suppliers are compliant?
Once you know your suppliers, you need a robust method for ensuring they are aware of, agree to and adopt your terms and conditions, including new regulatory requirements, as they come along. It is inefficient to use a multitude of spreadsheets, or chase up hundreds of emails; it is possible to insist on suppliers agreeing to terms and conditions changes in order to accept a new purchase order.
Do you have a breakdown of material composition across your order book?
Do you have visibility of materials across your order book? New and forthcoming regulatations will require that you are aware of where you are purchasing animal products, particularly leather for EUDR. Also for the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (which will require a form of digital product passport on apparell labels sold in the EU) you'll need to specify the material composition of the product. Therefore this must be captured at the order level.
Have you adopted any official material certifications?
Look for certifications like Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) or Responsible Wool Standard (RWS). While voluntary, these certifications demonstrate your commitment to ethical practices, fostering consumer trust and enhancing your brand’s reputation for sustainability and responsibility.
Do you have a system of scoring suppliers according to their environmental and ethical standards?
If you have mapped your supply chain and established a system for measuring compliance, and then you discover suppliers in your multi-tier network that are failing to meet your standards, it is imperative to have a system for supplier performance management. This is where a cross-departmental supplier scorecard can combine order, financial and compliance information. Depending on the compliance breach, you need a clear set of measurements and remedial steps to help backward suppliers. It may be that certain suppliers must be dropped, for example, if cattle are being grazed in a newly deforested area, which is a breach of EUDR. But for others it may be possible to work on solutions with them, rather than potentially putting whole communities out of labour by immediately withdrawing business.
Can you invest in alternative fabrics?
Explore plant-based or lab-grown materials as substitutes for animal-derived products. Innovations such as mushroom leather, pineapple fibers (Piñatex), and lab-grown meat offer sustainable options that reduce reliance on traditional animal agriculture. These alternatives not only have a lower environmental footprint but also appeal to an increasingly eco-conscious consumer base. Investing in research and partnerships with developers of these materials can position your brand as a leader in sustainability while meeting evolving market demands. Supporting such alternatives aligns with the global push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve resources, and create a more ethical supply chain.
With both businesses and consumers making more informed choices, together we can make a difference.
How Segura Works With Retailers to Achieve Sustainable Sourcing in Animal Agriculture
With this data-driven approach, retailers can confidently demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and ethical practices to both regulators and consumers.
Read more on Net-Zero Materials Transition in the Fashion Industry, or take a deep dive into another fabric here:
Net-Zero Materials Transition by Fabric
Cotton Denim LeatherPolyesterViscose
Read more about Segura’s powerful supply chain traceability tools.
About Segura
Segura is the leading fashion supply chain traceability solution, empowering fashion retailers and brands to deliver ethical, sustainable and efficient multi-tier supply chains.
Segura provides n-tier mapping, transparency, traceability, visualisation, compliance and reporting. Segura sits in the centre of your supply chain management structure creating a central repository for all your supply chain, ESG-related data and evidence, including from third-party data sources.
With all supply chain traceability data stored on a single platform, our customers get the right evidence in the right place to back up claims and meet regulatory compliance.
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