• Our Work
    • Homepage
    • What We Do
    • SLF Transparency Dashboard™
    • Audit Standard
      • Auditing & Training
      • Technical Documents
    • Partnership
      • Our Partners
      • Join Us
      • Partner Only Resources
    • Who We Are
    • Working Together
      • Material Exchange
      • Sustainable Markets Initiative Terra Carta
      • UNECE
      • WWF
    • Contact Us
  • Read Me
    • News
    • SLF Information Documents
      • Responsible Chemistry
      • Sustainability Matters
    • Presentations
    • Media
    • In Conversation with: Suzie Fletcher
  • Events
  • Partner Only Resources
  • Leather Hub for Consumers
Menu
  • Our Work
    • Homepage
    • What We Do
    • SLF Transparency Dashboard™
    • Audit Standard
      • Auditing & Training
      • Technical Documents
    • Partnership
      • Our Partners
      • Join Us
      • Partner Only Resources
    • Who We Are
    • Working Together
      • Material Exchange
      • Sustainable Markets Initiative Terra Carta
      • UNECE
      • WWF
    • Contact Us
  • Read Me
    • News
    • SLF Information Documents
      • Responsible Chemistry
      • Sustainability Matters
    • Presentations
    • Media
    • In Conversation with: Suzie Fletcher
  • Events
  • Partner Only Resources
  • Leather Hub for Consumers
Dashboard
  • November 7, 2022

Sustainable Leather Foundation visits UzCharmExpo in Uzbekistan and signs MOU with Uzcharmsanoat, continuing to extend its support to the global leather industry

Earlier this year, during a visit to Uzbekistan as part of the UNECE Project Team for Traceability and Transparency for Sustainable Value Chains, our Managing Director, Deborah Taylor, had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Leather Association of Uzbekistan, Uzcharmsanoat.  As a result of that first meeting, we were invited to return to visit some tanneries there and to participate in the Uzcharm Leather Expo which took place on 12-14th October 2022. 

Although not well known outside of Central Asia where most of their customer base sits, Uzcharmsanoat Association boasts 700 connected members made up of leather manufacturers and product manufacturers of primarily shoes, apparel and leathergoods.  The association with the financial backing and support from the State Government is now committed to meeting international standards in order to develop their ability to work with European and American partners.  During the week long visit, discussions were held with various representatives about how SLF can support that work through training, education and certification, and this culminated in the signed of a Memorandum of Understanding to: identify joint areas for cooperation, establish a structured program for continuous improvement; provision of training, support and certification.

More detailed discussions will continue during December when a delegation from Uzbekistan plan to visit the UK to meet with SLF and other stakeholders.

What of the current level of performance of these tanneries?

Deborah visited two leather manufacturers having asked in advance to see a “real” picture of the current level.

Angren Charm Tannery in the Tashkent region was a well-appointed and extremely well organised facility.  The machinery was cleaned and covered each evening with the original covers and the owners have invested heavily to ensure optimised efficiency. Already working with Italian and European customers, Angren Charm has its own effluent treatment plant and co-generation technology so is well on the way to meeting international expectations.

Hamkor Nur, another facility in the Tashkent Region was less advanced but showed great potential for improvement.  Taking raw material through to finished leather, the facility deals with bovine primarily with a small amount of sheep and goat.  At this facility there were clear areas where improvement would be necessary but with a program of work and a willingness to meet the needs, there is great potential for this site to also expand into the international markets. 

Both companies are in the process of joining SLF so that we can start that improvement work them and ultimately audit and certify their compliance.

This could be a really exciting time for both the Uzbekistan leather industry and for brands and retailers in the EU and America who are looking to invest in new sourcing regions.

In other news, during the recent APLF Asean edition in Bangkok, the Chair of our Advisory Board, Hans van Haarst who is the CEO of Royal Smit & Zoon, gave a seminar on how ESG can support better profitability for organisations, and we had a great response.  It is vitally important that industry recognises that good sustainability includes profitability and that by embracing the key principles of ESG, return on investment is possible for people, planet and profit.

We are now planning for our end of year Partner Meeting which will take place on 15th December 2022 from 1.00 to 5.00 pm (UK), hybrid for both in person and virtual attendance.  If you are not already a partner of the SLF but would like to attend, please email for a guest registration:  info@sustainableleatherfoundation.com

Also upcoming is the ILM Webinar on “Futureproofing our Leather Industry” which we are guest hosting and moderating.  You can find out more and register free here:

International Leather Maker Webinar

Share Page

LinkedIn
Twitter
Facebook
Email

More News

Loading...
Bangladesh – The Responsibility of Potential
SLF Joins Leather Naturally as an associate member
Brazil – rising to the challenge?
1 2 3 Next »

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates from the Sustainable Leather Foundation.

© Sustainable Leather Foundation CIC 2023.

Head Office: iCon Innovation Centre, Eastern Way, Daventry, Northamptonshire, NN11 0QB

Registered Office: Park Lodge, 1 The Ridgeway, Welton, Northamptonshire, NN11 2LQ, UK

Envelope Linkedin Youtube
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. SLF will never sell or disclose your personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT