Luxury fashion’s hidden cost: brands linked to Amazon deforestation
Also this week: thousands of turtles rescued in Mexico, protection for pangolins, and a new home for parrots
The supply chains of luxury fashion houses – including Chanel and Coach – have been linked to illegal cattle ranching that drives deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.
An investigation by the British NGO Earthsight traced hides from two Italian tanneries back to Brazilian slaughterhouses operating on illegally cleared land, including within indigenous territories. These tanneries supply some of the world’s most prestigious fashion labels, such as Coach, whose handbags sell for as much as €600 in Europe.
Earthsight’s team analysed thousands of shipment records, cattle data, and satellite imagery to support its findings.
The Brazilian state of Pará, home to a large part of the Amazon, saw the most forest loss in the country between 2001 and 2024. Nearly 20 million hectares of rainforest was cleared – an area twice the size of Portugal. Not all of this clearance is illegal, but estimates suggest the vast majority – 91 per cent – is carried out without proper permission.
Such deforestation is devastating to wildlife and biodiversity. In addition to habitat loss, the fragmentation of forests destroys essential wildlife corridors, pushing animals into often disastrous confrontations with humans and reducing their ability to hunt and migrate.
Chanel denied it sourced any leather from Brazil between 2020 and 2023. Fendi, which is owned by Louis Vuitton, said its suppliers assured it that it only sources leather from Europe, while Coach did not respond to Earthsight’s requests for comment.
You can read the full investigation here. It was also covered by the OCCRP here.
Mexico: Officers rescued 3,400 baby turtles which had been stuffed into cardboard boxes in preparation to be smuggled. The meso-American sliders, which are protected, were found during a roadblock in the Mexican state of Chiapas. They have been taken to a specialist unit for rehabilitation. (New Straits Times)
USA: Pangolins, often described as the most-trafficked animal in the world, could soon receive protection under the US Endangered Species Act. The proposed ban would include seven species of pangolin and is now subject to a 60-day consultation period. Pangolins are not native to the US and are already protected under other international agreements. But protection in the US could give enforcement officers greater powers to tackle trafficking. (IFL Science)
Guatemala: Twenty eight parrots were successfully released back into the wild in Guatemala in a major victory for conservation. The majority of the parrots were taken in as younglings after being seized by law enforcement and some had their wings clipped, a practice used by traffickers to make them easier to manage and sell. After years of rehabilitation, the animals have been released. The exact location has been kept secret to protect their development. (World Animal News)
Malaysia: Four black-handed gibbons were found inside the luggage of a passenger on a flight from Malaysia to India. The suspect was apprehended before boarding the plane and a picture showed a police officer with two large wheely suitcases seized from the passenger. The gibbons have been handed over to the wildlife department for further support. (New Straits Times)
Vietnam: Six people have been jailed in Vietnam for their involvement in the sale of nearly three tonnes of pangolin scales. One man was jailed for seven years, another for three and the rest handed sentences ranging from 15 months to three years. The group was detained in late 2023 with scales from several different pangolin species. Their sale is illegal worldwide. (Vietnam News)
Malaysia: An endangered dolphin was found dead after being caught in illegal fishing nets. The Irrawaddy dolphin was entangled this weekend and left behind by fishermen in Malaysia. There are thought to be fewer than 7,500 remaining. The illegal fishermen appeared to be targeting rays. (World of Buzz)
USA: Only around a fifth of illegal and unregulated fishing is tackled by the US Coast Guard due to a lack of resources, according to an internal watchdog. “Federal underinvestment” means enforcement officers are dealing with worsening facilities and aging cutters, a report said. The Coast Guard only intercepted 21 per cent of offenders because it lacked the resources to pursue them. Some 94 per cent of detected IUU fishing takes place off the coast of Texas. (Maritime Executive)
UK: Pets and farm animals, including horses, donkeys and alpacas, were chased or attacked by hunt animals during the most recent hunting season, campaigners alleged. Ceremonial hunting, where dogs are used to chase foxes, has been banned in the UK, but trail hunting can still take place. A report by activists Protect the Wild claimed that 89 animals were caused distress in 10 months and that only one in 20 hunts consistently acted within the law. They said there were 411 incidents of foxes being chased or killed. (Independent)