Minerva Leather is the leather division of Minerva Foods, operating in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, and Colombia. It produces over 15,000 pieces of bovine leather per day, which are marketed in wet-blue and semi-finished form to renowned companies in various sectors (automotive, furniture, footwear, and artifacts) across more than 35 countries.
Minerva Leather
With over 25 years of experience, Minerva Leather is recognized and respected worldwide in the leather industry, primarily for its quality, being one of the main leather suppliers in Latin America.
Commitment to sustainability
The commitment to sustainability, standardization, and consistency throughout processing and distribution is one of the main advantages of the company, both in terms of raw materials, sourced from Minerva Foods’ slaughterhouses, and in terms of traceability and origin policies for cattle, making us a reference in the market.
Recognizing that the sustainability of its business depends on maintaining the ecosystems that support agricultural production, the Company publicly announced the Commitment to Sustainability, outlining its objectives and goals to guide Minerva Foods’ transition to a low-carbon economy, aiming to become a company with net zero emissions by 2035, 15 years ahead of the timeline set by the Paris Agreement.
TRACEABILITY IS OUR
STRENGTH
The traceability of our supply chain is a crucial aspect of our commitment to combating climate change and protecting ecosystems. To ensure this goal, Minerva Foods aims to combat illegal deforestation throughout its supply chain in South America by 2030.
Our socio-environmental monitoring system employs the best available technology to ensure environmental compliance, labor standards, and land tenure regularity within our supplier portfolio. Learn more about our socio-environmental monitoring practices on the Supplier Management page.
Tracking Skin to Skin
Tracking Skin to Skin
Minerva Leather is a pioneer in tracing each hide back to its farm of origin. The leathers we process are stamped at the slaughterhouse, ensuring complete traceability and meeting various certifications. Through Minerva Leather, post-slaughter cattle leather is used to produce high-quality material, serving the automotive, footwear, furniture, and artifacts sectors. In addition to these sectors, we also cater to the collagen and gelatin market, which utilizes these compounds from hides for the production of medicines, supplements, and cosmetics.
The leather processing is carried out in tanneries certified by the Leather Working Group (LWG) with a Gold rating. This provides Minerva Leather hides with a guarantee of quality and compliance with socio-environmental standards demanded by the market. The Gold rating is granted to tanneries meeting at least 90% of the audit criteria conducted by an independent organization accredited by INMETRO – the National Institute of Metrology, Quality, and Technology.
In Brazil, 100% of our production has full traceability, and in 2022, the division completed the implementation of traceability seals on 100% of the hides produced in Paraguay. This seal ensures that the product’s origin was obtained sustainably. In 2023, with the commencement of operations in Uruguay, traceability of hides in the country was also initiated.
First Shipment of Full Traceable Leather to China
In December 2023, Minerva Leather carried out its first shipment of full traceable leather. This marked a significant milestone for the entire leather industry, showcasing the commitment to producing with quality, sustainability, and a constant pursuit of innovation. It also reaffirms our position as one of the leading leather suppliers in Latin America.
The term “full traceable” is used to characterize leathers that come with a guarantee of origin. This means that the product was developed following processes that allow for traceability and monitoring throughout the entire chain, from the birth farm of the animal to reaching the end consumer.
This inaugural shipment was destined for China, a demanding and crucial market for Brazilian leather exports. The production originated from our facility in Palmeiras de Goiás (GO), with shipment from Curtume Centro-Oeste (CCO). With this initiative, the company once again takes a pioneering role in the industry, being among the first globally to commercialize a product that is 100% traced and audited.
Leather is inherently a sustainable material, derived from the meat industry and transformed into a high-value product used in various segments and purposes that are part of people’s daily lives. With the full traceable certification, we guarantee the origin of each hide, recount its journey, and provide all this information transparently through a stamp accompanying each piece.
It’s worth noting that currently, Brazil is the third-largest exporter of leather in the world, having moved over $2 billion in sales in 2022 to more than 80 countries, according to data from the Agricultural Policy Secretariat of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. This market is continuously growing, driven by the potential of the country’s commercial cattle herd, considered the largest globally, as well as its quality and responsibility, demonstrated through achievements like this.
Minerva takes pride in promoting innovations aligned with its values and societal needs. With this additional step, the company contributes to adding value to the production chain, showcasing to the international market the efforts dedicated to technology and sustainability for the evolution and modernization of the Brazilian leather industry.
Leather Industry Engagement
