"Head of Louis Vuitton tannery leads fight to gut EU deforestation law", 27 April 2026

...Reports from inside the EU suggest the Commission may propose that hides used by the leather industry be removed from its scope entirely, despite cattle products including leather representing more than 13% of the bloc’s deforestation footprint.

Global Witness can now reveal the extent of the lobbying by groups with strong ties to LVMH, exposing how Fabrizio Nuti – the head of LVMH subsidiary Nuti Ivo, a group of Tuscan tanneries – has worked systematically to discredit the law within EU institutions and Italy, as well as lobbying the Paraguayan President Santiago Peña...

Nuti owns Paraguayan tannery Lecom/Parpelli, which purchases hides from companies Minerva Foods and Frigorífico Concepción. Global Witness has previously exposed these major players in the global cattle sector as sourcing from farms responsible for deforestation on land overlapping the territory of the Indigenous Ayoreo Totobiegosode.

If Nuti’s lobbying succeeds in removing leather from the law, it would mean products from his Paraguayan tannery sourced from deforested areas or Ayoreo Totobiegosode lands could continue to be sold in the EU...

LVMH categorically denied any lobbying against the EUDR in correspondence with Global Witness...

Neither Nardella nor LVMH replied to Global Witness’ request to provide further information on whether the EUDR was discussed in that meeting...

UNIC did not reply to Global Witness’ request for comment...

In reply to Global Witness, Lecom/Parpelli "reaffirmed their commitment to sourcing from deforestation-free areas" but admitted it was complicated to demonstrate this commitment over large supply chains, as it requires coordination with multiple actors.

Lecom/Parpelli also told us that they had been in contact with the nonprofit conservation organisation National Wildlife Federation to improve their traceability systems.

NWF told us in March 2026 they began initial conversations with the company “a few weeks ago, to support them in meeting international market requirements and to help regain access to the European market” through traceability, but were not a current client.

Minerva told Global Witness that it "recognizes that the longevity and success of its business depend on the sustainability of the ecosystems that support agricultural production," highlighting that 100% of the company’s purchases were compliant with the Group’s Sustainability Policy.

Frigorífico Concepción said the company "maintains a strong commitment to sustainability, due diligence, and transparency throughout its entire supply chain" and denied its operations drive deforestation in Paraguay.

It also reiterated the legality of its cattle sourcing and stated that it does not believe it is sourcing from lands owned by the Ayoreo Totobiegosode, according to the legal recognition of the lands by the Paraguayan government.

Global Witness does not allege that the deforestation in Minerva and Frigorífico Concepción’s supply chain is illegal. Paraguay’s very weak environmental laws allow farms to deforest up to 75% of their properties legally. Pedro, who works for an environmental NGO in Paraguay, told us in 2024 Paraguay’s environmental law was "antiquated" and no longer fit for purpose...