Former minister says leather is part of France’s heritage
France’s former minister for agriculture and food Julien Denormandie has said companies in the leather sector still have work to do to become more proactive in presenting the material’s positive story.
Mr Denormandie was minister for agriculture and food from 2020-2022 but recently joined a start-up company called Sweep, which seeks to help companies in various sectors track and reduce their carbon emissions.
Speaking at the Sustainable Leather Forum in Paris on September 12, Mr Denormandie said he recognised the value of companies throughout the leather value chain. “You are part of our country’s heritage,” he said, “and we don’t say this often enough, especially to companies further upstream in the supply chain. And your very nature makes you part of the circular economy.”
He explained that taking a proactive position on questions such as carbon footprint and deforestation would help the industry tackle these important challenges at a sectoral level. “This is a huge opportunity,” he insisted.
