International reference

Developed by the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalçados) and the Brazilian Association of Leather, Footwear and Accessories Components Companies (Assintecal), Sustainable Origin is much more than a certification: it is a strategic tool that promotes the sustainable and integrated evolution of companies in the sector.

The Program was created to meet the growing demands of the global market for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) responsibility, assessing companies based on 104 internationally recognized indicators.

Allowing companies to be certified at four different levels of evolution (bronze, silver, gold, and diamond), it can be applied to the organization as a whole, to a specific production unit, or even to a company’s brand.

Global demand

Sustainable Origin emerged from a movement that began in 2009, when leaders of the Program visited European companies and realized that sustainability was already integrated into management processes and strategies.

This experience served as inspiration to adapt the idea to the Brazilian reality, with technical support from the Sustainability Laboratory of the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo (LASSU/USP), which developed the first sector-specific indicators.

The pilot project launched in 2013 was a key step in testing and applying the indicators in the footwear production chain, demonstrating the certification’s viability and potential, and enabling the optimization of the methodology in 2020 to reach its current model.

Sustainable Origin is an international reference, precisely because it is regarded as a competitive advantage for Brazilian companies seeking to position themselves in the global market with transparency and social and environmental responsibility.

Certification

The certification process was designed and developed specifically for footwear and input companies. The model’s flexibility allows industries of different sizes and segments of the chain to join the Program according to their reality and strategy. Currently, more than 100 companies are certified or in the process of certification, showing the growing interest of brands in participating in the Program.

For international buyers, the seal represents a guarantee that a given company follows good sustainability practices throughout its entire operation, from management to social and environmental impact. It is a way to communicate, with transparency, the Brazilian industry’s commitment to the future. This is emphasized by Abicalçados’ Marketing and Strategy Manager, Cristian Schlindwein:

That is why, by choosing brands certified by the program, buyers around the world have the opportunity to acquire products with added value, aligned with contemporary demands for sustainability, ethics, and commitment to the future.

New campaign reinforces Brazil’s leadership in sustainability

This year, Sustainable Origin launched a new institutional campaign to highlight the importance of the certification and bring the public closer to the reality of certified Brazilian companies..

The campaign was launched with the creation of a Manifesto, which conveyed in an emotional and assertive way the program’s values and the Brazilian footwear industry’s commitment to sustainability.

The campaign reveals the behind-the-scenes of this ESG journey, showing that every sustainable choice is present in details often invisible, yet making all the difference: committed management, reduction of environmental impacts, care for employees, and appreciation of surrounding communities.

The institutional campaign provides a brief overview of the production process within the Brazilian footwear supply chain, reinforcing Brazil’s role as a sustainable powerhouse in the global market and highlighting, for both domestic and international buyers, the value each pair of shoes carries when certified with the Sustainable Origin seal. Watch the video below:

Commitment to the present and the future

Since its creation, Sustainable Origin has encouraged the Brazilian footwear supply chain to operate within a business model structured around five dimensions, seeking balance across economic, environmental, social, cultural, and management aspects.

In addition to positioning Brazil as an example of sustainability, innovation, and commitment, the Program responds to the demands of the global community and emphasizes the concern of Brazilian industries with the future.

All certified — and recertified — companies carry in their products not only design and quality, but also a story of transformation. And each pair of footwear with the Sustainable Origin seal represents a step forward toward a more ethical, responsible fashion, connected to the challenges of our time.

Learn more about the program and discover the certified brands:
https://en.origemsustentavel.org.br/