UPDATE 20th october 2020
Following the LAV #SALVACANGURI campaign, these companies have formally made a kangaroo-free commitment, i.e. they will no longer use kangaroo skins for their production:
31st october 2019
We express deep satisfaction with Diadora’s promptness in deciding to stop using kangaroo skins in its products.
"The company immediately proved to be very willing to establish a dialogue with us. To obtain this responsible commitment from them, all we had to do was to show them evidence of the cruelties inflicted on adult and baby kangaroos - stated Simone Pavesi, the person in charge of LAV’s Animal Free Fashion initiative - In a press release issued this week, Diadora announced its commitment to manufacturing kangaroo-free products from the end of 2020. The decision to stop using kangaroo skins, which are commonly employed in the sportswear industry, is a further step forward taken by the company towards mitigating the environmental impact of its business. It is a decision that confirms Diadora’s commitment to a responsible and sustainable development”.
In Europe, Italy is the leading importer of kangaroo skins (over 2 million from 2012 to 2015). These skins are primarily used in the sportswear industry to manufacture soccer shoes and motorcycling suits, but they are also used by renowned brands to produce high-end footwear and accessories.
Sportswear
Clothing
Footwear
In contrast, kangaroo meat has not yet reached large retailing channels in Italy. However, some restaurants include it in their menus. Moreover, PROLIFE (an Italian pet food company) uses it in its multi-taste moist dog food line.
?“Last month, we launched a specific public awareness campaign to inform consumers and convince companies to refrain from using kangaroo skins (and meat), and screened the film 'Kangaroo: a love-hate story' at Anteo Cinema in Milan. We will also present a bill banning domestic imports of products obtained from kangaroo hunting”, added Pavesi.
LAV urges all the Italian companies that are contributing to the largest carnage of wildlife in the world to be more responsible and to follow the shining example set by Diadora.