Leather
Certified Caldenal leather will be sourced from regenerative and wildlife friendly livestock farming, creating environmental, social, and economic benefits. This system supports forage production, enhances soil health, and helps conserve one of Argentina's most endangered ecosystems. It also provides commercial benefits, including access to markets demanding environmental traceability.
Regeneration and Coexistence: Regenerative livestock farming opportunities
WCS Argentina is working with Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network, under the Regenerative Fund for Nature, to develop regenerative livestock farming in the Caldenal as a path towards the conservation of this ecosystem, promoting the sustainable development of the most important economic activity in the region. The project team is working closely with producers to help them achieve Wildlife Friendly™ certification and connect them with industry partners, providing support to all parties involved in the commercialization of by-products.
Conserving the Caldenal:
Allies for a Threatened Ecosystem
Large expanses of forests, savannahs, and grasslands provide critical habitat for hundreds of species, including vulnerable and endangered animals such as the crowned eagle, yellow cardinal, and pampas deer. This unique environment also supports maras, viscachas, rheas, foxes, pumas, and guanacos. With its high ecological integrity, conserving this ecosystem can play an important role in climate change mitigation.
However, it is one of the most threatened ecosystems in Argentina, facing pressures from uncontrolled bush encroachment and fires. Its native biodiversity and essential ecosystem services, such as water regulation and carbon sequestration, are also at risk from exotic and invasive species of plants and animals.
What Certified Leather Will Deliver
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Improved soil health, including carbon sequestration and water retention.
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Respect of the biological and ecological cycles of the pasture, increasing the coverage of native species with high forage value.
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Biodiversity conservation, favoring the functioning and environmental services of the ecosystem.
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Natural grasslands conservation, favoring greater forage production that is predictable over time and resistant to changes in the environment caused by the climate crisis, such as prolonged droughts and fires.
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Enhancement of the socio-economic well-being of communities.
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Robust data to ensure environmental traceability, supporting certification of this livestock farming system and opening access to new markets.
Towards a Landscape Where Production, People, and Biodiversity Coexist and Thrive
Human activities have impacted the Caldenal for more than two centuries. The current landscape reflects the ways we have managed and utilized available resources.
Protected areas and well-managed productive fields can be the solution to reverse the impact and safeguard it for future generations. We promote forms of land use that allow the coexistence of sustainable human activities with the natural landscape and its biodiversity.
Protecting the Caldén forest means working hand in hand with local organizations, civil society, producers, and the broader community, integrating the vision of all sectors involved.
Regenerative + Wildlife Friendly Certification
Most clothing made from cotton, wool, or leather begins its journey on farms and ranches. Yet conventional agricultural practices can often harm the land, leading to deforestation, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss.
Today, consumers are increasingly asking where their products come from, and how they’re made. The fashion industry is responding. That’s why Wildlife Friendly™ certification for natural leathers and fibers is increasingly recognized by designers and conscious consumers seeking responsible sourcing.
By adopting a regenerative livestock model with this certification, we can position agriculture as a solution that benefits nature, people, and the climate.
Allies for Regeneration and Coexistence
Image: WCS Argentina
The Leather Challenge
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Fragmented supply chains
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Limited hide-level visibility
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Unclear chain of custody
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Weak link to land management
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Claims difficult to verify
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Traceability gaps between actors
The Leather Opportunity
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Regenerative + Wildlife Friendly cattle production in the Caldenal forest
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Ranch-level certification pathway under development
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Conservation outcomes connected to livestock production
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A pilot value chain for leather and beef from a conservation landscape