A study published last Tuesday (23rd) by the British non-governmental organization Earthsight concludes that international luxury brands are purchasing leather from companies linked to farms raising cattle on indigenous lands and in illegally deforested areas in the Amazon.
The investigation, conducted in partnership with Repórter Brasil, analyzed court decisions, satellite images, and shipping records. It also examined market fairs in the sector to uncover the leather supply network of brands such as Chanel, Balenciaga, and Gucci.
According to Earthsight, the Brazilian meatpacking company Frigol is at the base of this production chain. The slaughterhouse is identified as a buyer of cattle raised on lands under embargo due to deforestation, as well as from farms illegally established within the Apyterewa Indigenous Land in São Félix do Xingu (Pará state).
Italy-Pará Connection
The study indicates that almost all leather exported from Pará to Europe is destined for Italy. A portion of this product is purchased by Conceria Cristina and Faeda, tanneries from the Italian region of Veneto, where the material is processed and rebranded as “Italian leather.” These companies supply dozens of luxury fashion, automotive, and interior design brands.
In addition to Chanel, Balenciaga, and Gucci, Conceria Cristina supplies leather acquired in Brazil to the American luxury brand Coach, which targets Generation Z and sells bags priced between US$340 and US$686, considered “accessible” within the luxury market. The commercial relationship between Coach and Conceria Cristina was confirmed to Earthsight’s researchers by a spokesperson from an Italian tannery.
The investigation highlights Durlicouros, the largest exporter from Pará to Europe, as a key supplier to Italian companies. According to export reports analyzed by Earthsight, Durlicouros has exported 90% of all leather produced in Pará to Italy from 2020 to 2023, totaling 14,700 tons. Durlicouros confirmed to Earthsight that it purchases animal hides from Frigol.
History of Irregularities
Frigol is one of the five largest meatpacking companies in Brazil, with the capacity to slaughter 2,400 heads of cattle per day at its facilities in Pará, according to Earthsight’s study.
In October 2024, the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) fined Frigol and other meatpacking companies for purchasing 18,000 heads of cattle raised in a deforested Amazon forest area in the states of Pará and Amazonas.
Earthsight’s investigation obtained documents that, according to the NGO, show that Frigol purchased 3,643 heads of cattle illegally raised in two embargoed areas on a farm in São Félix do Xingu (Pará) in 2019. The company was fined nearly US$360,000 for acquiring animals from embargoed areas where cattle raising is prohibited.
Despite this, according to the British NGO, between January 2020 and October 2023, Frigol continued to buy cattle from the location with embargoed areas. Earthsight analyzed satellite images to prove that there was insufficient time for the recovery of the illegally deforested area.
Cattle on Indigenous Lands
The meatpacking company linked to the Coach, Chanel, Balenciaga, and Gucci supply chain is also identified in the study as a buyer of cattle from ranchers being sued for illegally raising animals on the Apyterewa Indigenous Land in São Félix do Xingu (Pará). This area, located in southern Pará, spans 773,000 hectares. In October 2023, the federal government initiated a disintrusion operation to remove irregular occupants. However, the Parakanã indigenous people living in the territory report that tension and attacks from invaders persist.
Earthsight’s study references an investigation by the North American NGO Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), published in May 2024, which indicates that the farm supplying cattle to Frigol had purchased them from seven different illegal farms within Apyterewa. Prior to this, in September 2022, an investigation by Repórter Brasil had already suggested that some of the cattle illegally raised on the indigenous land were supplying the meatpacking company.
However, the animals were not directly provided to Frigol. In Brazil, it is common practice for cattle to be transferred to farms on illegally deforested lands or overlaid on indigenous territories before being sold to meatpacking companies, thereby concealing their true origin.
Earthsight’s study reveals that the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) is suing 33 farmers and two companies, alleging that 47,200 heads of cattle were illegally raised on the Apyterewa Indigenous Land. Earthsight confirmed that, between 2020 and 2023, 14 of the farmers sued by the MPF sold over 17,000 heads of cattle to Frigol – enough to produce 425 tons of leather. The NGO was unable to determine the exact number of cattle originally raised on the Indigenous Land of Apyterewa.
“Luxury product buyers expect that high prices offer some assurance that they are not contributing to deforestation or the invasion of indigenous lands. This investigation demonstrates that this trust is misplaced. Until fashion brands begin conducting thorough inspections of their own supply chains, they cannot guarantee that their products are free from these illegalities,” stated Rafael Pieroni, leader of the Earthsight team for Latin America.
What Companies Say
In response to Earthsight, Frigol stated that it has not identified any irregularities among suppliers accused of acquiring cattle raised inside the Indigenous Land of Apyterewa. The company also asserted that its purchasing policy aligns with ‘Boi na Linha,’ a monitoring protocol for cattle acquisition developed by the NGO Imaflora in partnership with the MPF. According to Frigol, 100% of the cattle acquired from its direct suppliers were raised in compliance with socio-environmental criteria. The company also claims it can monitor its indirect suppliers at the first level – the last cattle breeders to supply the direct distributors.
In a statement sent to Repórter Brasil, the meatpacking company emphasized that it “clarified in detail each of the hypotheses presented” in Earthsight’s report, “demonstrating that all acquisitions are in socio-environmental conformity.” Frigol highlighted its commitment to the Conduct Adjustment Agreement for Sustainable Cattle Ranching in the State of Pará (TAC da carne). This agreement, established in 2009, requires meatpacking companies to commit to not acquiring cattle from illegally deforested areas in the Amazon after 2008. Annual audits are conducted by the Federal Public Ministry and other organizations to assess compliance with the pact.
According to the meatpacking company, Frigol has achieved 100% conformity in cattle acquisitions from its direct suppliers for the last three consecutive audit cycles. The company also stated its aim to mitigate deforestation by indirect suppliers by 2030, “with the intention of anticipating the mitigation of indirect deforestation level 1 to 2025.” The company’s complete position can be found [here]. In its response to Earthsight, Durlicouros did not specifically address the commercial relations presented.
