Sustainable Origin Seal - Increasing the Brazilian Footwear Sector International Competitiveness

Abstract

The Brazilian footwear sector is facing increasing global competition, having lost market share in the recent years. Considering the competitors positioning regarding quality and price, the sector has to create differentiated value through innovation, and sustainability seems the right path towards this goal. It is vital to push the sector towards more sustainable practices allied with greater quality and lower prices when possible. This paper presents a proposal of a system of sustainability indicators, the "Sustainable Origin Seal" created for adding value and increasing the companies' competitive advantage in the worldwide market. The proposal presents 52 indicators classified into four dimensions (economic, environmental, social, cultural) and three categories (obligatory, very important, desirable). The Seal comprises five maturity levels. The indicators were defined based on a survey and on the alignment with other international initiatives. In addition, we developed a software for self-diagnose concerning the compliance with the Seal and for supporting the corresponding auditing process. A survey and a case study are presented. The main contributions of this work are the development of a system of indicators that fully meets the needs of the footwear industry in Brazil, besides presenting a method for developing similar systems for other sectors.