America's Obsession With Beef Is Killing Leather - Good short read
Bloomberg reporting. Old reporting on the environmental effect +/-
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-08-09/america-s-obsession-with-beef-is-killing-the-leather-industry
The rise of athleisure and “vegan” clothing is also speeding the decline of an iconic U.S. industry
U.S. consumers are eating more beef, more than they have in a decade. But a byproduct of this carnivorous hankering is piling up, unloved and unwanted. Shoppers who once coveted leather jackets and shoes are instead scooping up cheaper, synthetic alternatives, reflecting a growing ambivalence toward this former staple of American closets.
Just five years ago, prices soared after a drought shrank the U.S. herd to a six-decade low. Leather outpriced itself, forcing shoe and clothing designers to cut the material from their products. Combine that with the rise of athleisure and the growing popularity of“ vegan” clothing, and one can see why demand hasn’t come back.
There’s still plenty of demand for high-quality leather—the type used in pricey handbags or high-end sofas—but that’s just one part of the industry. Most animals don’t have perfect hides, and many are branded. Older animals that have weathered the elements on pastures for years have skin marred by imperfections.
According to Hidenet, a leather markets research firm, a hide from a branded cow went for as little as $4 the week of July 15, down from as much as $81 just five years ago. Vera Dordick, chief executive officer and publisher of Hidenet, added that it’s not just the U.S. industry that’s suffering.
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