The Brazilian footwear industry has been forging a standout path by adopting practices that generate positive impacts on the environment and society. For companies in the sector, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) goes beyond an acronym; it is the foundation for building responsible businesses across all dimensions. Part of this journey, now underway in the segment, is shared by three companies in the BF Talks series—an initiative of Brazilian Footwear, the export incentive program for Brazilian footwear developed by the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalçados) in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil). Watch the fifth episode above, which focuses on sustainability and features case studies from Bibi, Klin, and Ramarim.

The content features the participation of Calçados Bibi’s Executive President, Andrea Kohlrausch; Klin Produtos Infantis’ International Trade Manager, Camila Chamoun; and Grupo Ramarim’s Marketing Manager, Nelson Magagnin. Andrea underscores that the balance brought by sustainability in business is synonymous with “win-win” relationships across all the links that make up the footwear value chain. “I believe Brazil’s footwear ecosystem has taken a very important step toward this differentiation, and we are already seeing a mobilization,” she says, noting that industry suppliers are also working to adopt sustainable practices.

Camila emphasizes that the ESG agenda is made up of a set of actions that guide the company’s conduct in its relationships with employees, suppliers, and the community. “Sustainability is a core value for Klin. We believe that if we carry this as a purpose within our brand, we will help build a better Brazil and a better world, rooting it and influencing new generations.” Magagnin, in turn, stresses that the sustainability agenda has been very strong since 2013, when Sustainable Origin—the only ESG certification for the global footwear chain—was created by Abicalçados and Assintecal (the Brazilian Association of Leather, Footwear and Component Companies). “What I see as very positive is the moment companies are in. We talk a lot about culture—spreading this culture, practicing this culture—which is what we are pursuing today, from our supply base, from cultivating this internally, to taking it to the consumer and building this whole story. When we talk about sustainability, our word today is culture.”