PARIS — January 30, 2024 — TextileGenesis, a Lectra Group company, has announced the launch of two new consortia bringing together players in the footwear and leather industries. TextileGenesis, which has already developed a pioneering solution to ensure the traceability of textile materials, aims to extend its contribution to the emergence of more responsible and sustainable supply chains.
The footwear and leather industries need to improve the traceability of the materials they use.
Nowadays, the supply chains and production systems of the footwear and leather industries are globalized, fragmented and highly complex. They are increasingly facing regulatory and compliance challenges of establishing better traceability of the materials used.
As Amit Gautam, founder and CEO of TextileGenesis, explained: “The number of unique components required to make a single pair of shoes could range from 10 to 50+ parts while leather has an extremely fragmented and opaque upstream supply chain, this exposes these industries to major social and environmental risks. At a time when governments are tightening regulations on traceability and forcing brands to be more transparent, it is imperative that the players in the footwear and leather ecosystems unite to collectively meet these challenges”.
In the fashion sector, TextileGenesis has distinguished itself by giving manufacturers and brands using sustainable textiles access to a reliable, secure and totally digital traceability of the material. Its pioneering traceability mechanism relies on advanced digital-token based traceability technology, digitizing every kilogram of fiber at the point of origin, and a network of material certification partners, as recently illustrated by the launch of eTrackit in partnership with Textile Exchange, and announcement of a memorandum of understanding with the International Cotton Association (ICA).
The TextileGenesis SaaS platform ensures complete traceability of sustainable textiles, guaranteeing their authenticity and provenance at every stage of the supply chain, from fiber to retail. For conventional textiles, the platform also includes a new module that combines a declarative mode with tests on random samples carried out by certified forensic or tracer-testing organizations. The origin and quantities of materials used are identified by tracing the supply chain, from the finished product to the intermediaries involved in its production.
Building on the advances it has made in the fashion industry, the TextileGenesis team is now looking to broaden its scope to help the leather and footwear industries meet the traceability challenges of these two key sectors of the fashion industry.
Greater transparency in the footwear and leather ecosystems
The common objective of the two consortia initiated by TextileGenesis is to encourage the sharing of the information needed to improve the tracking of materials throughout the supply chains of the footwear and leather ecosystems, guaranteeing ethical and sustainable practices. By tracing every component of footwear and leather production, these industries can drive positive change and strengthen the confidence of their consumers and all their stakeholders.
The collaboration of the different stakeholders around a shared traceability platform paves the way for a future where consumers can make informed decisions, where brands can deliver on their commitments, and where both industries can thrive in the long term.
Textile Genesis has brought together a number of key players from fiber producers, material standard organizations, and industry associations such as Lenzing, Coats, Fashion for Food, and the Forest Stewardship Council®. The consortium works in close collaboration with seven leading global fashion brands.
“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.” says Katrin Ley, Managing Director, Fashion for Good.
Amit Gautam concludes: “We hope that these initiatives will lead to significant advances in the footwear and leather industries. We are determined to promote greater traceability in the apparel sector and are delighted to be able to contribute, with the creation of these consortiums, to the collective work of all the players in order to move together towards more sustainable production methods”.
Posted: January 30, 2024
Source: TextileGenesis, a Lectra company
