ALLPI Convenes Meeting in Ethiopia to Enhance Hides and Skins Traceability Across Africa

BISHOFTU: The Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI) is spearheading a critical technical meeting in Ethiopia, aimed at refining the implementation of a hides and skins traceability and eco-certification system across the continent. The pre-piloting meeting, which runs from October 21 to 22, 2024, in Bishoftu town, Oromia region, has drawn representatives from 14 African countries. This initiative seeks to bolster transparency and sustainability within the leather industry.

According to Ethiopian News Agency, the meeting is a key component of the RECAMP program, which the COMESA secretariat entrusted to ALLPI in 2020. The objective is to establish a robust system capable of identifying the origin of hides and skins by stamping a permanent code on them, thereby aiding enterprises in member states to gear up for the certification process. Such a system is instrumental in tracking and documenting the journey of hides and skins from their source, such as livestock, to the final leather product.

T
he traceability system comprises several core elements, including identification at the source, data collection points, database management, and certification. This framework enables stakeholders across the leather value chain-ranging from farmers to tanneries and manufacturers-to monitor and verify the origins, quality, and processing of hides and skins, thus promoting a more transparent and sustainable industry.