DesertSpring
Handelmaatschappij A. Smit en Zoon B.V. is a supplier of processing agents for the leather industry.
This project aims to pilot a revolutionary, metal-free tanning agent, based on organic extract.
By offering a sustainable alternative to chromium and other tanning agents, Smit en Zoon can tackle fundamental environmental and social issues in the leather value chain. Moreover, climate-smart agriculture contributes to combating desertification. If successful, this tanning agent can render leather tanning fundamentally safer, sustainable and circular.
During this pilot the following topics will be investigated.
- How can the right leaves be harvested, and the extract be produced at industrial scale? Can it be produced at acceptable cost levels, when at scale?
- How can the tanning agent meet market (brands) demands? How can Smit en Zoon ensure that the tanning agent works for Indian tanneries, and at industrial scale, and what is needed for Smit en Zoon to adopt it?
- What is the performance, social and environmental impact of this tanning agent?
When the results of this pilot are successful, Smit en Zoon aims to bring this tanning agent on the market as tone of the first metal-free tanning agent.

Project number
NL-KVK-27378529-FVOF20005Total budget
€ 475,000Countries
IndiaProject status
FinalisedBudget spent
Programme
Fund for Responsible Business (FVO)Tied status
UntiedContact
iati@rvo.nlProject partners
Bhartiya International Ltd, Handelmaatschappij A. Smit en Zoon B.V., Netherlands Enterprise Agency, SN Botanicals, Solidaridad Network Asia LimitedSectors
ChemicalsType | Provider | Provider ref. | Receiver | Receiver ref. | Value (€) | Date | Value date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Incoming Funds | 475,000.00 | 07-07-2020 | 07-07-2020 | ||||
Outgoing Commitment | Handelmaatschappij A. Smit en Zoon B.V. | 475,000.00 | 07-07-2020 | 07-07-2020 | |||
Disbursement | Handelmaatschappij A. Smit en Zoon B.V. | 152,500.00 | 09-07-2020 | 09-07-2020 | |||
Disbursement | Handelmaatschappij A. Smit en Zoon B.V. | 142,500.00 | 02-12-2020 | 02-12-2020 | |||
Disbursement | Handelmaatschappij A. Smit en Zoon B.V. | 132,500.00 | 02-06-2021 | 02-06-2021 | |||
Disbursement | Handelmaatschappij A. Smit en Zoon B.V. | 47,500.00 | 05-04-2023 | 05-04-2023 |