More than sustainable products, the Brazilian footwear industry, in line with a growing movement worldwide, has been adopting socially and environmentally correct production practices. Currently, the fifth largest footwear producer on the planet, the largest outside Asia, has been standing out as an international reference for clean production and aligned with ESG concepts. As it had to be, between the 21st and 23rd of May, at the Transamerica Expo Center, in São Paulo/SP, the protagonism of the sector in the area will also be exposed in the 2nd edition of BFSHOW, the largest footwear fair in Brazil.
A research released last year by the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalçados) points out that more than 95% of Brazilian companies in the sector work with environmentally adequate disposal of their productive waste; 79% of industries perform control of restricted substances; and 62% of industries consume electricity 100% from renewable sources. "These are data that corroborate the intense work carried out to adapt the production of footwear to the new reality of a more conscious consumption and oriented towards sustainability not only environmental, but also social. Today, people want to know what they are consuming, where the product they are wearing comes from, and companies that are not adapted to this new world tend to have many difficulties in the market, especially internationally”, evaluates the executive president of the entity, Haroldo Ferreira.
In practice
At BFSHOW, a fair that already has more than 230 footwear brands that account for 80% of the national production of the sector, 75% of the footwear industries certified in the Sustainable Origin program, the only ESG certification for companies in the footwear production chain in the world, will be present. One of the companies confirmed at BFSHOW is Tess, manufacturer of the Kenner and Redley brands, which bets on the footwear show to leverage an ambitious internationalization project. “We do not want to export price, we want to export added value to demanding markets and these markets require sustainability, with consumers wanting to know the origin of the manufacture of their products,” says the company's CEO, Thomas Simon.
Among the highlights of Tess is environmental sustainability in its production process. With heavy investments in technology and innovation, Tess reduced raw material disposal by 50% from 2021 to 2023. By 2026, the goal is to reduce another 50%. “Another important point is our product. We have developed a shoe to last more than ten years, without exaggeration. With this, we reduce the waste disposal”, highlights Simon.
Representing the sustainability of the children's footwear segment, Bibi will also be at BFSHOW. The company, certified in Sustainable Origin, counts as one of its pillars the concern with sustainability and has created goals and commitments in the area to be achieved by 2030. Among the commitments are: to achieve 100% compliance of products manufactured in the Reach Standard (Regulation No. 1907/2006 European Parliament) regarding toxicity, to reduce by 20% the generation of waste in the development of new products and industrial operations, among others. "We believe that, increasingly, consumers are prioritizing brands with initiatives that contribute to society and the environment. In this way, in addition to offering a quality product that respects the happy and healthy development of children, we are a company that aims to reduce the impacts of operations on nature”, comments the company's president, Andrea Kohlrausch.
The fair
Created by Abicalçados in partnership with NürnbergMesse Brasil, BFSHOW is already the largest Brazilian footwear fair in occupied space, with hundreds of the main Brazilian footwear brands, from all segments, sizes and footwear poles. The visitation is estimated at more than 10 thousand buyers and professionals of the activity, both from Brazil and from the international market. In the first edition of BFSHOW, which took place in Rio Grande do Sul, were generated, only in international business, more than R＄ 315 million. Accreditation for visitation is open on the website.
About Abicalçados
Abicalçados represents the Brazilian footwear industry, fifth largest in the world and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. Founded in 1983, Abicalçados is based in Novo Hamburgo, state of Rio Grande do Sul, and its members are companies of all sizes accounting for more than 65 percent of the footwear produced in the country. The entity represents an industry that employs more than 300,000 people. Its mission is to represent, defend, develop, and promote Brazil’s footwear industry with respect, excellency, and results.
About the organizers
NürnbergMesse Brasil is a subsidiary of the NürnbergMesse Group, one of the 15 largest fair organizers in the world. The group’s portfolio includes more than 120 international fairs and congresses (14 of them in Brazil) and more than 40 pavilions. Every year, more than 30,000 expositors and more than 1,5 million visitors meet in events hosted by NürnbergMesse, which also has subsidiaries in China, United States, Brazil, Greece, Italy, and India, The group also established a network with sone 50 representatives operating in more than 116 countries.
