The CICB Sustainability Forum will take place on March 13th, with the central theme Links to Traceability. It will be during the Fimec fair, in Novo Hamburgo (RS) and registrations will be open soon.
Minerva Leather, a global reference in leather production, is a Gold sponsor of the event and shares its vision on sustainability and the afternoon of debates that we will have at the forum. See the interview with Alessandro Sousa, Director of Minerva Leather.
Minerva Leather, a global reference in leather production, is a Gold sponsor of the event and shares its vision on sustainability and the afternoon of debates that we will have at the forum. See the interview with Alessandro Sousa, Director of Minerva Leather.
What motivated your organization to be one of the sponsors of the CICB Sustainability Forum?
Minerva Leather, a subsidiary company of Minerva Foods, has sustainability as a central pillar of its business strategy. We believe that joining forces and promoting the exchange of experiences is essential to foster sustainable initiatives throughout the production chain. The forum makes it possible to bring together stakeholders interested in contributing to this purpose.
What are the expectations regarding the forum’s programming during the Fimec fair?
FIMEC is one of the most traditional fairs in the footwear sector and takes place in an important leather production hub in Brazil. The event has contributed, over more than four decades, to positioning Brazilian industry as an agent that promotes innovation and sustainability. Our expectation for holding the Forum within this schedule is to continue promoting good practices, through networking and the exchange of knowledge between the main players that make up this market.
How does your organization address the challenges of sustainability and traceability?
Traceability plays a fundamental role within the Sustainability Commitment assumed by Minerva Foods in 2021, which has led initiatives to combat illegal deforestation and climate change related to land conversion in South America. The Company monitors 100% of its direct suppliers in all biomes of its operation in Brazil (Amazon, Cerrado, Pantanal, Caatinga and Atlantic Forest), Paraguay and Colombia, and is already progressing with monitoring in around 90% in Argentina and more than 40% in Uruguay, whose goals are to achieve the total in 2030 and 2025, respectively.
The Company also promotes projects to monitor indirect suppliers, including the use of the SMGEO Prospec application, which was developed in partnership with Niceplanet Geotecnologia. This tool allows rural producers across Brazil to check the compliance of their production chain through socio-environmental analyses.
Furthermore, in 2022 we launched the Full Traceable Leather program, that is, hides with guaranteed origin that follow rigorous audited processes that enable traceability and monitoring of the entire chain, from the animal's birth farm to the product's arrival at the final costumer. This pioneering program in the sector demands a lot of cooperation and effort from the entire chain, something that the Company considers to be essential for improving bovine traceability. In December 2023, Minerva Leather carried out the first export of Full Traceable wet blue leather.
- -- - -
The CICB Sustainability Forum is promoted by the Brazilian Leather project, an initiative of the Centre for the Brazilian Tanning Industry (CICB) and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil). Gold Sponsors: IDH, Minerva Leather and Abrameq with BKS, Master, NBN and Michelon. Silver Sponsors: Midori Auto Leather, Sincurt and Viposa and Vancouros. Support: Euro-América. The event will have simultaneous translation into English. To participate in the Forum, it is also necessary to register for Fimec, access here.
Service
CICB Sustainability Forum
March 13, 2024
Check in from 1:30pm
Location: 47th Fimec (International Fair for Leather, Chemical Products, Components, Machinery and Equipment for Footwear and Tanneries)
In Novo Hamburgo (RS), in person
Registration coming soon.
Free accreditation for Fimec: here
