TextileGenesis, in collaboration with Textile Exchange has launched two consortia to enhance materials tracking in footwear and leather supply chains, writes Leatherbiz.

The aim of the initiative is to promote sustainable practices and boost transparency in these industries. The consortia will employ TextileGenesis’ eTrackit traceability platform, which quantifies the amount of material sourced and follows it through the supply chain until it reaches the retail stage.

The platform’s implementation will simplify tracing, enable identification of sustainable material suppliers and highlight areas for improvement. The consortium includes industry associations, fibre producers, material standard organisations and leading global fashion brands.

Fashion For Good managing director, Katrin Ley commented: “While, to date, the traceability of the leather value chain remains a complex challenge for the fashion industry, it is essential to ensure that the leather originates from sources free of deforestation.

“Additionally, with this set to be addressed by the upcoming EUDR legislation, TextileGenesis initiative to unite various actors in the supply chain to tackle these complexities comes at an opportune time.”

TextileGenesis was founded by Amit Gautam, a former executive at textile manufacturer Lenzing, in 2018. French technology provider Lectra acquired 51% of capital and voting rights in the start-up in December 2022.