Retailers boycott Indian leather goods

Former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev inspects a shoe warehouse

By Shishir Joshi in Mumbai

MUMBAI, India -- Global retail giants have decided to boycott leather from India until New Delhi takes steps to enforce basic animal protection laws.

India is the second largest producer of leather goods in the world.

This week four major American retail chains, including Eddie Bauer, L.L. Bean, Timberland, and Casual Corner announced a ban on Indian leather goods.

Their decision comes shortly after retail giants, Gap, Marks and Spencer, German-based Bader, Travel 2000 , Liz Claiborne and J Crew decided to initiate the stern measure.

The decision follows documentation made by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which found mistreatment of animals killed for leather in India.

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“All these organisations have told PETA that they will not purchase leather from India until the government takes steps to enforce basic animal protection laws”, PETA’s India representative, Jason Baker told CNN.com.

A communiqué with PETA, from an Eddie Bauer official says: "Eddie Bauer is committed to not making products from animal skins and hides sourced from India until we receive credible assurance that India’s animal protection laws are enforced. At Eddie Bauer, we believe animals should be treated humanely under all circumstances."

India is the second largest leather producer in the world. Leather industry statistics indicate that the total leather export for the year ended March 31, 2001 stood at almost US $ 2 billion as against US $ 1.7 bilion in the previous year.

The Indian leather industry turns a profit of about $2.5 billion annually while the campaign against the leather industry’s animal cruelty in 2000 reportedly cost the industry approximately US $68 million so far.

Major importers of Indian leather goods are Germany, the US, the UK, Italy and France as well as Hong Kong, Spain, Russia, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Greece and Canada.

Motilal Sethi, President of the Indian Leather Garment Association described it as a major setback.

“Export of finished leather, footwear and garments would be hit hard by the ban”, he said.

Cricket

Quoting India’s Sports Goods Promotion Council. PETA says 3 per cent of India’s leather production -- 1,125 cows a day -- goes to make cricket balls. India’s 125 cricket ball factories slaughter an average of nine cows a day.

At the outset, Indian manufacturers have appealed to PETA to fund slaughter houses to improve conditions therein, rather than run a campaign which can affect subsistence of leather-goods manufacturers.

Marks and Spencer has already banned leather goods from India

Teja Industries, a Mumbai based supplier for Marks and Spencers, has now decided to stay in business by importing leather from other countries.

"We have to meet the global demand and hence, since Indian leather has been banned, we import it from other countries like Indonesia, Italy and Russia. However, we are now spending 15 per cent more than earlier", remarked Col T S Malik (Retd.), President of Teja Industries.

Teja employs more than 600 people and has exports around US $ 4 million every year.

A representative for Council for Leather Exports in South India, Mohammed Hashim, says the industry is being blamed for the excesses conducted by the slaughter houses.

"We buy what is known as wet-blue, which is semi-finished skins when brought to the market. Why should leather goods manufacturers be penalised for the conditions in the slaughter houses?" he questions.

India’s animal laws are strict, making it highly impossible to kill cows in most states. However, time and again, the laws were found to be violated, according to a PETA documentation.

Says Jason Baker, "Indian officials are trying to sleep during this crisis, but we are determined to wake them. With the help of the world’s ethical merchants, the animals’ cries will eventually be heard."