The Leather Impact Accelerator (LIA) is a framework that sets existing industry tools into a coherent package and enables leather supply chain members – from farmers to retailers – to contribute to a more responsible leather supply chain.
LIA is not a standard – instead, it is a program that uses benchmarks and protocols to set a minimum threshold for practices at the farm and leather production levels and gives recognition to those who meet or exceed them. Brands can use Impact Incentives to provide direct financial support to farmers that meet LIA benchmarks, and the LIA Claims Guide provides support for all LIA participants to make credible claims.
The industry already has many standards, so a benchmark approach has been adopted to leverage and add value to the standards and programs that are already in use. In addition to benchmarking, we will evaluate traceability programs and the verification protocols.
Benchmarks set a minimum threshold for practices and give recognition to those who meet or exceed them. The LIA benchmarks will be included in the regular review process of LIA and the threshold levels may be adjusted to drive continuous improvement in the sector.
The Leather Impact Accelerator (LIA) uses benchmarks to address the areas of Animal Welfare, Deforestation/Conversion-Free (DCF), and Leather Production.
Through the LIA Corporate Commitment, brands will be able to make a public commitment to LIA and set targets associated with these two areas. We suggest a 5-year target, but brands can choose the timeframe that works best for them, with a maximum of 10 years starting from 2021.
The LIA Corporate Commitment is composed of two modules. Brands may choose to participate in one or both modules, and both include a requirement to report progress towards this commitment on an annual basis.
This commitment module requires brands and retailers to commit to purchasing Impact Incentives at an increased amount per year, with a goal of matching 100% of their leather use by the end of a chosen timeframe (within ten years maximum from 2021).
Example of a 5-year Impact Incentives commitment:
All committed brands must report progress towards their LIA Corporate Commitment by completing the leather module of the Textile Exchange Corporate Fiber and Materials Benchmark (CFMB) on a yearly basis.
Engage in mapping your leather production supply chain by the end of the selected timeframe (within ten years maximum) and confirm that each supplier is certified to a LIA-approved standard for both the environmental and social Leather Production benchmarks.
A supplier is considered to be “mapped” under the LIA corporate commitment if the following information is provided at the minimum:
A supplier is considered to be “mapped” under the LIA corporate commitment if the following information is provided at the minimum:
Example of a 5-year supply chain commitment:
All committed brands must report progress towards the commitment by completing the leather module of the Textile Exchange Corporate Fiber and Materials Benchmark (CFMB) on a yearly basis.
Leather production supply chain facilities may become LIA-approved through being certified to standards that meets both the environmental and social benchmarks for LIA. In addition to certification, supply chain members are also required to be participating in a hide traceability system; guidelines for traceability are included in the Leather Production Supply Chain Mapping & Traceability Guidelines document below.
When available, a list of LIA-approved leather production standards will be shared.
In order to become a LIA-approved farm, a farm must be certified to a standard that is approved to the LIA Animal Welfare Standards Benchmark and/or be verified to the DCF Protocol. The farm must also be participating in a live animal traceability system that tracks the purchase and sale of individual cattle, guidelines for which are included in both farm-level documents below.
When available, a list of LIA-approved animal welfare standards will be shared.
Schemes may apply to have their standard’s criteria benchmarked against the applicable LIA benchmark document for either animal welfare or leather production*.
The overall process for being benchmarked is outlined through the Standards Benchmark Approval Process, during which the standard’s management protocols will be assessed through the Standards Management Criteria.
*Leather production supply chain facilities must meet both environmental and social benchmarks
Partner Programs are on-the-ground projects or initiatives that support a farms or farm groups to improve their practices by helping them meet the DCF Protocol and/or the Animal Welfare Standards Benchmark. Partner Programs may join Impact Partnerships with brands and sell Impact Incentives to aid their work in helping farmers meet LIA.
Third-party verifiers confirm that the criteria for the Deforestation/Conversion-Free (DCF) Protocol are met. They are also responsible for verifying the required Farm Questions, confirming the traceability system used, and registering qualifying Impact Incentives onto the Incentive Trading Platform.
Note: Requirements for third-party verifiers/certifiers for animal welfare are determined by the individual standards approved to the Animal Welfare Standards Benchmark. These verifiers may also register Impact Incentives associated with animal welfare on the Incentives Trading Platform.
Through the LIA Corporate Commitment, brands will be able to make a public commitment to LIA and set targets associated with these two areas. We suggest a 5-year target, but brands can choose the timeframe that works best for them, with a maximum of 10 years starting from 2021.
The LIA Corporate Commitment is composed of two modules. Brands may choose to participate in one or both modules, and both include a requirement to report progress towards this commitment on an annual basis.
This commitment module requires brands and retailers to commit to purchasing Impact Incentives at an increased amount per year, with a goal of matching 100% of their leather use by the end of a chosen timeframe (within ten years maximum from 2021).
Example of a 5-year Impact Incentives commitment:
All committed brands must report progress towards their LIA Corporate Commitment by completing the leather module of the Textile Exchange Corporate Fiber and Materials Benchmark (CFMB) on a yearly basis.
Engage in mapping your leather production supply chain by the end of the selected timeframe (within ten years maximum) and confirm that each supplier is certified to a LIA-approved standard for both the environmental and social Leather Production benchmarks.
A supplier is considered to be “mapped” under the LIA corporate commitment if the following information is provided at the minimum:
A supplier is considered to be “mapped” under the LIA corporate commitment if the following information is provided at the minimum:
Example of a 5-year supply chain commitment:
All committed brands must report progress towards the commitment by completing the leather module of the Textile Exchange Corporate Fiber and Materials Benchmark (CFMB) on a yearly basis.
Leather production supply chain facilities may become LIA-approved through being certified to standards that meets both the environmental and social benchmarks for LIA. In addition to certification, supply chain members are also required to be participating in a hide traceability system; guidelines for traceability are included in the Leather Production Supply Chain Mapping & Traceability Guidelines document below.
When available, a list of LIA-approved leather production standards will be shared.
In order to become a LIA-approved farm, a farm must be certified to a standard that is approved to the LIA Animal Welfare Standards Benchmark and/or be verified to the DCF Protocol. The farm must also be participating in a live animal traceability system that tracks the purchase and sale of individual cattle, guidelines for which are included in both farm-level documents below.
When available, a list of LIA-approved animal welfare standards will be shared.
Schemes may apply to have their standard’s criteria benchmarked against the applicable LIA benchmark document for either animal welfare or leather production*.
The overall process for being benchmarked is outlined through the Standards Benchmark Approval Process, during which the standard’s management protocols will be assessed through the Standards Management Criteria.
*Leather production supply chain facilities must meet both environmental and social benchmarks
Partner Programs are on-the-ground projects or initiatives that support a farms or farm groups to improve their practices by helping them meet the DCF Protocol and/or the Animal Welfare Standards Benchmark. Partner Programs may join Impact Partnerships with brands and sell Impact Incentives to aid their work in helping farmers meet LIA.
Third-party verifiers confirm that the criteria for the Deforestation/Conversion-Free (DCF) Protocol are met. They are also responsible for verifying the required Farm Questions, confirming the traceability system used, and registering qualifying Impact Incentives onto the Incentive Trading Platform.
Note: Requirements for third-party verifiers/certifiers for animal welfare are determined by the individual standards approved to the Animal Welfare Standards Benchmark. These verifiers may also register Impact Incentives associated with animal welfare on the Incentives Trading Platform.
Textile Exchange is thrilled to announce the launch of the Leather Impact Accelerator (LIA) 0.1 and the start of a one-year pilot phase for implementation of the program components.
Included in this launch are the core LIA documents, applicable to the farm and leather production supply chain levels, as well as support documents for all users to participate in and use LIA to contribute to a more responsible global leather supply chain.
