LVMH partners with Unesco to combat deforestation in the Amazon

LVMH, in partnership with UNESCO MAB(Man and the Biosphere) program, revealed its new biodiversity strategy to combat deforestation in the Amazon.

The initiative is a part of the conglomerate’s LIFE 360 program (LVMH Initiatives For the Environment), limiting its group’s impact on ecosystems by rehabilitating 5 million hectares of natural habitats while safeguarding animal welfare by 2030.

LVMH stated the group relies significantly on natural raw materials such as flowers, grapes, cotton, leather, stones, and plants for its products across all its Maisons.

“Luxury is at the intersection of nature and creativity: we need nature in order to craft our high-quality products, and nature must be renewed and safeguarded. As the world leader in luxury, LVMH has committed to making the protection of biodiversity an absolute priority, and to being an exemplary actor of change,” stated Antoine Arnault, LVMH image & environment, in a press release.

The group stated it is committed to not using raw materials from zones with a high risk of deforestation or desertification, such as the Amazon.

LVMH announced they would budget 5 million Euros to help reforestation and rehabilitation of degraded lands while preventing and improving the management of fires and water pollution in biosphere reserves in Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, and Peru to help safeguard the ecosystems of the Amazon rainforest.

The intuitive will also include creating sustainable employment and alternative sources of income in local communities throughout the Amazon Basin that do not involve deforestation and projects that focus on the education of agroforestry cropping systems and sustainable harvesting of forest products.

Image: LVMH