THE HIDE REPORT
Timberland takes first steps towards ‘regenerative’ leather supply chain
Outdoor brand Timberland has forged a partnership with Other Half Processing, an organization that advocates for a ‘regenerative’ animal supply chain in an effort to bring products incorporating ‘net-positive’ leather to market during 2020.
In theory, regenerative sourcing sequesters more carbon than it emits, while also providing a boost for biodiversity. Through the partnership, Timberland will source traceable hides from regeneratively grazed cattle raised in the US. Such grazing methods involve ranchers, farmers and tribespeople managing their cattle in a way that mimics the natural movement of animal herds, allowing for plant regrowth.
This plant regrowth has been proven to make the land more productive with greater resistance to both drought and heavy rain, while boosting the landscape’s ability to sequester carbon.
Other Half Processing additionally believes there are social benefits to regenerative grazing. The US-based Minnesota Specific Benefit Corporation claims that this approach enables producers to increase overall returns and avoid costs associated with poor soil health and poor water cycling.
Timberland’s sustainability director Colleen Vien said the first hides
