Greenpeace released a report today implicating shoe brands such as Nike, Reebok and Adidas, stating their demand for leather may be supporting cattle ranchers that are illegally slaughtering the Amazon.  Greenpeace’s  laundry list is extensive, companies like Ikea, BMW, and Kraft may be silent partners as well.  These companies know what manufacturer they get their leather from but may not know what cattle ranch the manufacturer buys from. This may make them a silent partner, but they are still a partner and need to take charge of the situation.

You may be asking, what do cows have to do with deforestation of the rainforest?  In Brazil, cattle farmers are illegally burning down the Amazon rainforest to raise enough cattle to meet the public’s demand for beef, leather products and even cattle by-products like glycerine.  Glycerine is used in some health and beauty products. (Another reason to go natural and vegan with your beauty products!!)

You may be saying, I get that it’s bad to burn down the rainforest but why are rainforests critical to life on earth? The Amazon rainforest, for example, not only houses thousands of plant and animal species, it is critical to our climate. Greenpeace explains,

Forests play a vital role in stabilizing the world’s climate by storing large amounts of carbon that would otherwise contribute to climate change. Forest destruction accounts for almost 1/5 of global greenhouse gas emissions. That is more climate pollution than all the world’s cars, trucks, trains, planes and ships combined.  The Brazilian cattle industry is the largest single source of deforestation in the world-and the demand for leather means more Amazon Rainforest cleared to graze cattle.

Download Greenpeace’s report, Slaughtering The Amazon to learn more.  To takepart let companies such as Nike, Adidas and Reebok know you are concerned about where their leather comes from.  Also check out more eco-conscious shoe brands such as Simple Shoes and TOMS Shoes.