Diana Rodgers, maker of the documentary Sacred Cow, writes on LinkedIn that one of the presentations I attended at COP27 was about the various sustainable products we gain from the meat industry. Valuable fertilizers, biogas from manure, insulin, heart valves, and one of my favorite materials – leather!

Leather is the wrapper for meat. It’s a byproduct of food production. Since nearly all humans consume meat and/or dairy products, doesn’t it make sense to use the leather from these animals for our bags, shoes, furniture and car seats?

Unfortunately, every chair I saw at the UN Climate Change Conference was either covered in plastic leather or some other synthetic fabric. This is complete nonsense.

150 million hides are destined for landfills. We are WASTING a sustainable, durable, and beautiful product from the land, simply because people and companies are grossly misinformed about reality.

I believe we have an ethical duty to use as many of the materials produced by livestock as we possibly can.

If we do not, leather is simply wasted.

I’m looking at you, eclectic cars (where the only sustainable part was the leather), “vegan” fashion, “ethical” shoes and “sustainable” furniture.

Don’t get me wrong, the chemicals commonly used to turn a hide into usable leather are a concern of mine, but there are solutions if we simply want to invest in the many eco-friendly tanning options out there.

But to simply THROW OUT the hides is nonsensical, and actually has a massive CO2 cost.

If you dislike factory farming don’t reject all livestock products. Support producers who align with your values.

Sometimes I feel like I’m living in the upside-down version of the world!