Goats
All hides are sourced from goats raised on small Swiss farms in Emmental, Jura, and Ticino. Switzerland is home to around 80,000 goats, most of which are kept for milk production. They are native to hilly and mountainous regions where the animals are also used to maintain the landscape. Due to an increasing demand for goat milk products, the number of goats has steadily risen in recent years.
To maintain milk production, the goats have to give birth every year. While some female offspring are kept for milk production, there is no use in particular for the young males.
Cattle
A significant portion of the world’s leather comes from cattle raised primarily for meat and milk. While around 50% of a cow’s meat is consumed, the remaining 50% is utilized across various industries. This includes animal feed, gelatin, collagen, biodiesel, and leather. The hide represents about 8% of the animal's total weight. It's important to note that farmers do not receive payment for the hides; in fact, they often incur costs for their disposal.
We work exclusively with farmers who follow organic, biodynamic (Demeter) or regenerative principles. A central element of these farms is the grass-based feeding of the animals. Cows eat grasses, shrubs and herbs - a natural and nutrient-rich source of feed that ruminants can digest optimally and that does not compete with human food. This practice is in line with the maxim "feed not food", as it makes good use of agricultural land: around 70 per cent of the land is grassland.
Holistic pasture management not only enhances animal welfare but also enriches the soil. This sustainable approach boosts soil fertility and contributes to the preservation of our natural resources. For more details, see our film recommendation.
Sheep
Sheep farming has a long tradition in Switzerland that goes back thousands of years, especially in the Alps and Southern Alps. Nowadays, Swiss farmers keep sheep primarily for the production of lamb meat, but the meaning of sheep milk production has steadily risen in the last years. In addition, sheep are very important for landscape maintenance.
Sheep are ruminants, mainly eating hay and grass, which they digest throughout the day. The frugal and robust animals are therefore particularly important for the Swiss alpine farming, where they contribute to the preservation of pastures and biodiversity and combat overgrowth. Of the approximately 340,000 sheep that exist in Switzerland, about half spend the summer on alpine pastures.
