Where Leather Comes From and How to Source It Responsibly

Almost all of the world's leather is made from the hides of animals raised for meat. What makes leather sourcing responsible or not is what happens next: which tannery processes the hide, how it is tanned, and whether anyone can trace it back. The main certification helps, but it rates the tannery, not your product, and its audit stops at the slaughterhouse.

This hub links to every page in our sourcing and sustainability series. Each section gives the short answer and points to the page that covers it in full.

Key takeaways- Leather is a by-product of meat, according to the FAO and Europe's tanners. One advocacy group disagrees and calls it a profitable trade in its own right.- A "made in" label names the country where the product was last substantially transformed. That may not be where the hide was tanned.- Leather Working Group (LWG) medals rate a facility's weakest audit section, from Gold (85%) down to Audited (50%).- Traceability is scored back to the slaughterhouse, not the farm.

Where leather comes from

Leather is made from the hide or skin of animals. The FAO describes hides and skins mainly as by-products of the meat industry. Because of that, hide supply barely moves when leather demand changes. Europe's tanners' confederation (an industry body) calls the hide a residue that tanners recover.

Not everyone accepts that framing. Veganuary, an advocacy group, argues leather is a profitable trade worth billions. It also claims ostrich skin is worth four times the meat. Whether that changes the ethics is covered further down this page.

Country of origin: Pakistan, Italy and the label

Under US customs rules, the country of origin is where an item was made. Work done in a second country changes that only if it substantially transforms the item. A jacket can therefore carry one country on its label and leather tanned in another. Our guide to checking where a leather jacket was made shows how to find out, and identifying leather made in the United States covers US-made claims.

Read the full profiles: leather from Pakistan and Italian leather.

Tanning: the step that decides most of the impact

Chrome tanning accounts for about 85 to 90% of modern leather making. Vegetable tanning uses tannins from plant bark and leaves instead. In the EU, leather that touches the skin may not contain chromium VI at 3 mg/kg or more, a limit set to reduce skin allergies.

The full process, from raw hide to finished leather, is on how leather is produced.

Certification and traceability: what they prove

The Leather Working Group audits leather manufacturers and awards Gold, Silver, Bronze or Audited ratings. The final medal is set by the weakest section. It certifies the facility that made the leather, not the product.

Traceability is scored as the share of material traced to a slaughterhouse, but it does not yet affect the medal. The audit does not include farms.

The questions to ask a seller, and what a good answer looks like, are in how to choose ethically sourced leather.

Is leather ethical, and is it environmentally friendly?

Deforestation is the most disputed issue. Greenpeace, an advocacy group, says cattle pasture expansion caused 42% of agriculture-driven deforestation from 2001 to 2022. The EU's deforestation law is a moving target for leather. The European Commission's page still lists leather as covered. Europe's tanners say a 2026 delegated act removed hides, skins and leather from its scope. Check the current text before you rely on either.

The animal, environmental and labor questions are weighed in is leather ethical? Key considerations. The footprint itself is covered in how environmentally friendly is leather. For keeping leather in use longer, our sister site leatherguide.org covers care.

Made to order, and open to your questions

Orders from Leather Collection are made to order and shipped from the company's facility in Pakistan. Before you order from any maker, ask which tannery supplied the hide and whether that tannery holds a current audit.

FAQ

Can leather ever be sourced ethically?

It can be sourced more responsibly. Look for a named tannery, a current LWG medal and traceability to the slaughterhouse. No single certificate covers farms, animal welfare and workers together.

Do cows need to be killed for leather?

Yes. Leather is made from animal hide or skin, and almost all of it comes from animals raised for meat. Whether the hide is a by-product or a profit driver is disputed.

What is the best source of leather?

No country is best by default. The tannery and grade matter more than the flag. Italy leads European production by value, while Pakistan is a major maker of jackets and gloves. Compare the tannery's audit and the hide grade, not the country alone.