This year’s meeting will be bilingual (French–English), reflecting AQC’s commitment to inclusivity and cross-border collaboration within the industry.
AQC President Angelika Duckenfield noted the sector’s renewed spirit of cooperation from recent leather industry events such as Lineapelle and SLF. She said: “Leather needs to be put under the right light again, and AQC will support this process by offering a platform of exchange and harmonisation for all who work towards the same goal. Leather is a co-product of the meat industry, leather does not contribute to deforestation, leather is a biobased material, and much more that can make leather a sustainable purchasing choice.”
The MSM will showcase AQC’s initiatives to harmonise practices and support sustainability, including the launch of the LCA+ Leather Community, a platform co-founded with Authenticae to align Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies across farms, tanneries and associations.
Participants already include:
- Four farms: Brooks Farm; Donald Farm; Vermillion Farm; WG Alligator Farm.
- 14 tanners: American Tanning and Leather; Caravel; Classic Leather; Esotica; Heng Long; Hcp; France Croco; Italven Pelli; La Patrie; Max Gimmel; Tanneries Haas; Tanexo; Tanneries Mégisseries du Maghreb; Zuma.
- 18 associations and experts: AQC; AI; Authenticae; COTANCE; CTC; ICEC; ICFA; FH; FILK; LAFRA; LHCA; LWG; SLF; SPIN360; SRCP; UNIC; UNIDO; WE.
The updated AQC Restricted Substances Lists (RSLs), covering all bracelet components, are now live on the organisation’s website www.aqc-asso.ch, further supporting chemical compliance and transparency.
