Originally Posted by
dobber
Until you can demonstrate that the need for leather is outstripping (no pun intended) the number of cows being slaughter for meat, your argument has no merit. I look at it as efficiency.
Man is not a herbivore.
The need for leather doesn't have to "outstrip" the need for meat. They are both valuable products resulting from the slaughter of cattle. The value of the cow is the sum of the value of all its marketable products.
Originally Posted by http://www.all-creatures.org
Today's meat industry is not sustainable on its own, and it relies on skin sales to remain profitable. The skin of a slaughtered animal accounts for 55 percent of the value of the products of that animal other than meat. Leather isn't a harmless slaughterhouse byproduct. The meat industry relies on skin sales to stay in business.
Once again, I will point out the fact that most quality leather comes from specially bred cattle, very young (sometimes unborn) calfs, or dairy cattle.
some examples:
http://www.whatsonbristol.co.uk/revi...200_coupe.html
http://www.offkilter.org/jan302002.html