The cowhide industry has been scrutinized in recent years due to claims of animal abuse. Cows are (apparently) mercilessly butchered for their skins, which is the mainstream narrative and what PETA puts forward.
However, this is not true. Businesses, manufacturers, and suppliers follow ethical practices when using animal-based products. Cows are killed for a number of reasons, such as meat, dairy, dairy products, etc. This means that the leather industry can work alongside the meat industry since there is no real need for leather, aside from making goods.
Sustainable sourcing of cowhides has been on the rise in recent years. You can easily find premium and authentic cowhide rugs that are 100% eco-friendly and free of animal cruelty.
Most people want their cowhide rugs to be eco-friendly to minimize the environmental impact. Let’s explore more about sustainable sourcing of cowhides and ethical practices in the industry.
How to Source Cowhide Responsibly and Ethically?
Businesses have a responsibility to source their cowhides ethically and responsibly. This is difficult to achieve unless there is pressure from consumers since businesses mostly prioritize money. However, there has been a backlash in recent years since the cowhide industry came under scrutiny by organizations like PETA.
There is also growing evidence of the toxicity of different types of leather, driving businesses to make important changes. These occur on various levels, such as manufacture, sourcing, etc.
As people become environmentally aware, they strive to minimize their carbon footprint. The largest corporations in the world, like Microsoft, Samsung, Amazon, etc., have all adopted a net zero emissions policy and are paving the way for the future.
The leather industry is also making certain changes, some of which involve clearing up any misconceptions about animal cruelty.
Let's dive into how the cowhide industry can be more ethical in its practices.
1. Use More By-Products
Some people seem to think that the cowhide industry raises cattle for the sole purpose of acquiring leather. That is simply not true since cows are most commonly used for meat and dairy products. So, cowhides are essentially by-products that come from the slaughter of a cow for another purpose.
A common argument against people claiming that using cowhides is unethical is to tell them to stop eating meat. Cows will always be killed for beef by the meat industry, and leather is simply a by-product. Therefore, it stands to reason that cowhide rugs do not stem from animal cruelty since it is not the primary reason for killing these animals.
Of course, the meat industry tries to be as humane as possible in their killing methods. But the world has become so polarized that there will always be someone offended over some practice. So, it makes sense not to stop killing cows completely just because a group of people oppose it.
Meat will always be consumed by the vast majority of the world, and leather will always be just a by-product.
2. Treat Animals Properly
Raising cattle is bad for the environment since cows produce a significant amount of emissions every year, leading to climate change. A lot of false blame is placed on the leather industry since people think leather products are directly responsible for increasing emission rates.
Leather products, like premium cowhide rugs, are sourced from cows. However, these animals are often raised under humane conditions. The best businesses seek out tanneries and farms that treat their animals properly.
Good treatment of cattle involves giving them enough room to graze grass, ensuring they are fed and cleaned, and vaccinating them. If these animals are not raised in proper conditions, you cannot expect to obtain quality cowhides for rugs.
Responsible and ethical sourcing involves working with regulated tanneries and finding the best farmers. Lying to consumers is not an option, and many businesses follow regulations and adopt transparency in their practices.
Consumers must try to think critically and not make knee-jerk decisions based on images they see out of context.
3. Encourage the Transition Towards Sustainability
People are beginning to adopt sustainable lifestyles. This means they are looking for things having positive impacts on the environment as well as being durable with greater longevity. The leather industry plays a part in having an adverse impact on the environment since there is more demand to raise cattle for various reasons. However, cattle are almost always being raised for a different purpose, so the adverse effects are exaggerated.
There will always be a demand for leather goods like premium and quality cowhide rugs. This makes it important to be more aware of how things really are instead of how they are presented in the media.
The fashion industry indirectly causes soil fertility problems. So, sustainability for them would mean improving agriculture and promoting healthy soil development for farming. Similarly, the cowhide industry can try to minimize animal cruelty and promote eco-friendly products, like premium cowhide rugs, leading to sustainability.
4. Optimize Your Sourcing and Production Processes
Cowhide rugs are excellent choices for interior design. They can ramp up your home’s beauty and become a classic or contemporary style, depending on how you look at it.
Businesses can increase their target market in various ways. A niche market for quality cowhide rugs depends on how the raw materials are sourced. So, you can optimize your business by scrutinizing it from various angles to increase profitability.
Leather waste disposal is an essential part of improving the sustainability of the industry. Businesses can also find ways to avoid wastage of resources to create final products, which is optimization.
If you’re looking to play a part in improving cowhide sourcing, you can also set up water purification facilities for farmers and tanneries. As more of these modern solutions are applied, the future of the cowhide industry will evolve.
Sourcing Raw Materials Ethically to Make Cowhide Rugs
The increasing demand for cowhide rugs is driving the need to source cowhide ethically. However, some people think that cowhide rugs should not be supported as a modern design. This is because they come from dead animals, which will encourage people to kill even more of them for profit.
However, most companies source their cowhides in the most ethical ways. The animals are not killed solely for cowhide, which is often sold for other purposes. Businesses that source cowhide just make a deal with farmers and tanneries to buy the leather for their products.
Despite this, it is important to remember that things are not always black and white. Killing healthy animals for materialistic gain may be frowned upon, especially if manufacturers are doing it solely for profits.
The best companies in the premium cowhide rugs business strive to set themselves apart from others. They only source cowhides from animals that are being killed for meat. This means there is no extra killing in the name of leather goods, which is as ethical as it gets.
This responsibility is absolutely necessary in the modern world as people become more aware of the consequences of certain actions. However, it is also important to draw a distinction between two different arguments and not conflate them together.
For example, PETA activists may oppose the killing of cows for cowhides. However, they may really be against the killing of animals for meat, which is a separate debate. Although many animal rights activists have fair points about animals being mistreated, the reality is that meat will always be consumed by humans. So, conflating this issue with the leather industry only paints an inaccurate picture of the problem, lacking any context.
There will always be a crowd of people against the ethics of killing animals, and that is fine. However, this minority cannot argue against the widespread acceptance of killing animals for dietary reasons, which is perfectly fine.
The truth is that the leather industry is much more humane than it seems from the outside. So, its primary purpose should be to clear up any misunderstandings since that is crucial to removing any unfair biases against the industry.
Cowhide Gallery Sources Cowhides Ethically to Make Quality Cowhide Rugs
Cowhide Gallery understands the importance of sourcing eco-friendly and animal-cruelty-free raw materials. These are then used to make premium cowhide rugs that are perfect for interior design and taking your home décor to the next level.
We at Cowhide Gallery go the extra mile in ensuring sustainability and ethics in our product sourcing. We believe in being transparent to our customers and separating ourselves from archaic traditions that are destructive to the environment.
Explore our website to sift through our gallery of leather products, including calfhide and cowhide rugs, as well as duffel bags. Or call +1(817)774-3523.