The Brazilian Footwear program, carried out by the Brazilian Association of Footwear Industries (Abicalçados) in partnership with the Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investments (ApexBrasil), has just launched a series with ten episodes focused on sustainability in the Brazilian footwear industry. The focus is on the international market, marking the positioning of the Brazilian industry as a sustainable player worldwide. The companies Beira Rio, Bibi, Grendene, Kidy, Klin, Pegada, Piccadilly, Ramarim, Urban Flowers and Usaflex participate in the series. The official launch took place during the Brazilian participation in Expo Dubai, at the United Arab Emirates.

Abicalçados' image promotion coordinator, Alice Rodrigues, points out that the series is part of a Brazilian Footwear repositioning campaign, which will be launched in 2022. "Sustainability is a value attribute in Brazil, but mainly a requirement for attracting more businesses. The positioning of the Brazilian footwear industry portraying the practical reality of sustainability will further strengthen business opportunities and the promotion of our image abroad,” she assesses, pointing out that the participating companies, more than sustainable products, have production processes aligned with the concept.

For the Brazilian Footwear manager at ApexBrazil, Mariele Christ, sustainability, especially for companies that want to export their products to more developed markets, especially in Europe and North America, is no longer a differential, it is a necessity. "In the face of all the climate and ecological challenges, sustainability has become increasingly important for consumers. It's a worldwide movement.” According to her, the communication actions for the international market, especially the series, help to spread an important work with great appeal in the consumer's imagination. "The national footwear industry, increasingly, has been working on sustainability. The fact is translated into Sustainable Origin, the only global certification of the chain in the area of sustainability,” she concludes.

Global trend
One of the companies participating in the action is Usaflex, from Igrejinha / RS. The company's international marketing analyst, Simone Strazburger, points out that the future depends on sustainable work, not only environmentally, but on all the economic, social, and cultural pillars that give basis to the concept of sustainability. "New approaches to sustainability, such as the concept of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance), demonstrate that taking care of the environment, being socially responsible and adopting best governance practices are indispensable pillars for prosperity,” says the analyst, adding that sustainability is also a consumer demand, especially from the international market. “We have noticed a greater concern with sustainable products in countries in Europe and the United States, which already ask us for certifications and tests that prove the origin and type of material used in our shoes' manufacture. This movement is quite important and needs to be looked at carefully by the Brazilian industry, because it is usually these countries that guide consumer trends for the rest of the world”, she points out.

Simone says that Usaflex brings in its products' portfolio articles aimed at concern for the environment, introducing sneakers produced with recycled PET bottle yarns , a proposal that renews care for the environment."This project was presented at the company's participation in the Sustainability lobby at Expo Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The reception was very good," she assesses. In addition to this, she says that the company is working with a line of insoles called Re-Confort, consisting, in the upper part, of high density foams and in the lower part of compounds from the recycling of foams used in the manufacture of other insoles and in the lining itself of Usaflex shoes.

For the analyst, the series by Brazilian Footwear is also important in the communication of the Brazilian sustainability to the international market, which is currently done by Usaflex through training to the sellers of the partner stores around the world (on-site and online), which are the ESG pillars translated in the actions taken by company, such as reverse logistics, decontamination, and recycling, use of renewable energy sources, etc. In the opportunities, the ways of selecting suppliers are presented, which must have certifications such as Leather Working Group and CSBC, which are leather traceability certifications to be inserted and reprocessed within the footwear production chain.

Positive returns
Klin, from Birigui / SP, is also part of the Brazilian Footwear series. The company's export manager, Camila Chamoun, points out that sustainability has always been a hallmark of the footwear company. "38 years ago, when the company was founded, there was already this concern for the environment. So it was always very real for us,” she says. According to her, projects are currently carried out that encourage the professional growth of employees, promote the reforestation of the regions of activity, optimize the use of natural resources in the production process, among others. "But we also understand that sustainability needs to be tangible, in the product" she adds.

To encourage the culture of sustainability, Klin has among its highlights the Semear Line. Camila explains that the sole and upper of the products are developed with 20% of their materials recycled from the production process (rubbers and fabrics). In addition, pairs come with seeds to encourage the little consumers to plant. Another highlight is the Eco Klin line, which brings shoes produced with recycled PET bottles- four PETsby pair. "It is more than a commercial product, it is a way to communicate to the market the ecological concern of the company, in a genuine and tangible way", explains Camila.

Camila says that the company has strengthened communication with the final consumer, both Brazilian and international, and that the Brazilian Footwear series will certainly help in the process. “When we presented the video of the series in Dubai, during the Expo, we had a very good reception. Even after, when we sent the campaign to our CRM, we received more responses than usual from international buyers congratulating the presentation", celebrates the manager, pointing out that there is a demand from old and new customers for sustainable products, especially in the European markets. “We present the products and notice that they are positively surprised", she concludes.

The full series can be watched on the link 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdTNWmU0AJrBT2aEkUUf_DeoG9qb6Grsr