Leather is both acclaimed as a natural material and criticized for its ethical shortcomings. How exactly does leather production affect the environment and communities that surround it? Over the past few months, we have explored different facets of leather production and its associated sustainability claims. In this article, we will discuss the impact of leather production on the communities that interact with it.
Leather production involves a complex, interwoven network embedded within local communities at every stage of production-- from the farm, to the slaughterhouse, to the tanneries. These local communities and workers--which are often marginalized populations--are the most impacted by the environmental and emotional toll of working in the industry.
“Workers in these tanneries suffer from respiratory problems, skin irritation, and cancer. In some cases, it is reported that there is a 50% increase in cancer reported among tannery workers”
Farms and ranches
The leather supply chain begins at the farm. Farming and ranching are stressful jobs with long hours and high levels of uncertainty and solitude. These farms and ranches also often employ seasonal workers from overseas. The U.S. working visa (H-2A) for these seasonal agricultural workers ties them to work with only one employer. These seasonal workers are then especially vulnerable to mistreatment and manipulation. In Brazil, there are reports of farm workers working in unsafe conditions with no toilets, kitchens, or running water for very little pay. These same farms supply the cattle to large meat corporations, such as JBS, the world’s largest leather processor.
On the other side of the matter, expansion of these cattle farms has been encroaching on indigenous land. In Brazil, more than 18% of the Amazon rainforest has been lost in the past forty years, about 80% of which has been attributed to cattle ranching. It is estimated that indigenous people make up only 6% of the world’s population, but are protectors of 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity. These environmental stewards are being expelled from their native land as they battle an industry that prioritizes profits and beef sales.
Slaughterhouses and meat processing plants
Slaughterhouse work is physically, emotionally, and psychologically taxing. Since few people want to do this work, slaughterhouses have historically relied on laborers from low-income and vulnerable communities who have limited employment options.
At least 37.5% of all U.S. slaughterhouse and meat processing workers are born overseas. The number may be much higher due to the percentage of undocumented workers in the industry. These workers coming from overseas usually have few other options for work. Meat processing facilities take advantage of their vulnerability and offer them low-paying jobs in order to stay in the country.
Working in a slaughterhouse is dangerous and repetitive. Some workers may be tasked to bleed the animals, putting them at risk of being kicked by a thrashing animal. Others may make the same series of slices, putting them at risk of repetitive stress injuries or amputations. These workers are constantly exposed to the bacteria present in their bloody environment. Despite the dangers, workers are pushed to process more animals in a shorter period of time to keep up with the demand for meat and leather. They often do not report their injuries for fear of losing their jobs.
Beyond physical injury, the violent nature of the work causes many workers to suffer psychologically. One personal account of an abattoir worker explains the effect that the work had on her mental health, “at night, my mind would taunt me with nightmares, replaying some of the horrors I’d witnessed.” These workers often suffer perpetration-induced traumatic stress (PITS), a type of trauma disorder where the trauma comes from being the direct cause of another being’s suffering. Some cope with the work by disassociating and numbing themselves to the death and violence around them. Others turn towards substance abuse and addiction. The impact of slaughterhouses on the surrounding communities is understudied. However, there is evidence that there is a larger increase in crime–particularly violent and sexual crime–in the communities surrounding slaughterhouses.
Chemical exposure in tanneries
After the animals are skinned, the hides are processed in tanneries to be turned into leather. The tanning process can use chemicals such as chromium (III), formaldehyde, and benzene to preserve the hides. Improper disposal of these chemicals puts workers at risk of being exposed to the toxic waste. Most tanneries are located in China and India, where working conditions are less regulated and wastewater treatment facilities are outdated. Workers in these tanneries suffer from respiratory problems, skin irritation, and cancer. In some cases, it is reported that there is a 50% increase in cancer reported among tannery workers.
Not only are the workers within tanneries affected, but entire communities surrounding tanneries suffer. The effluent runoff from the tanning process poisons important local waterways, such as the Ganges River. The communities around these tanneries are unable to cultivate food on their land or drink potable water. These communities suffer from a higher percentage of birth defects and chronic coughing.
Even in Italy—where leather is marketed as a sustainable choice—there remain opaque labor regulation that make it easy to exploit vulnerable workers. In Italian tanneries, around 16% of workers are non-EU citizen migrants. Many of these workers are Senegalese. These workers often accept working contracts that only provide them work for days at a time. Due to these unstable working contracts, they are forced to accept dangerous working conditions. Both Italian and Senegalese workers suffer from hearing loss from loud machines, respiratory illnesses, and skin ailments from chemical exposure.
Marginalized populations are disproportionately at risk
At every step of the process, the industrial meat and leather industry puts marginalized populations at the highest risk. Farm workers, slaughterhouse workers, tannery workers, and indigenous peoples are primarily low-income black and brown members of society. These are the people who bear the biggest physical and mental burdens when wealthier populations demand more meat and leather. Additionally, these groups suffer the most from the environmental consequences of leather production.
For many of these workers, the commercial farming and leather industry is their entire livelihood. Moving away from meat and leather products may cause a lot of uncertainty for the future of this kind of work. The commercial meat and leather industry’s prioritization of faster profit and sales is a main driver of the poor workplace practices that have resulted. As both meat and leather alternatives grow in popularity, different jobs surrounding these new fields will surface as well. During this transition, it is important to prioritize sustainable growth that protects the livelihood of these workers.
Note: Bucha Bio rebranded to Rheom Materials in January 2024 to better reflect their process and offerings. The new name combines the Greek word "rhéō" (meaning "flow") and "form," describing how a melt-extruder works, where the biopolymers flow into place and then solidify, or form, the final product.
