Exploring the state-of-the-art in traceability within the leather industry with recommendations for future research

The leather industry faces mounting pressure to align with global sustainability and circular economy goals due to its resource-intensive and environmentally burdensome production processes. Traceability has emerged as a critical governance tool for enhancing transparency, accountability, environmental risk management, and sustainable value chain management; however, its conceptualisation and implementation in the leather sector remain fragmented. This paper systematically reviews the academic literature to examine how traceability contributes to transparency, sustainability, and circular economy transitions in the leather industry. Four thematic domains are explored: (i) conceptual and practical foundations of traceability; (ii) technological innovations such as RFID, blockchain, and IoT systems; (iii) the relationship between traceability and transparency; and (iv) traceability as an enabler of sustainability and circularity. The systematic review identifies a persistent gap between technological advancement and governance integration, as traceability initiatives often prioritise technical feasibility over systemic adoption and institutional alignment. The paper reconceptualises traceability as a socio-technical governance capability operating as a multi-layered governance infrastructure that can support environmental risk management and sustainability transformation across leather supply chains. Also, a pragmatic methodological positioning whereby systematic evidence synthesis is complemented by the Appreciative Inquiry strengths-based interpretive lens is applied exclusively to the discussion. Correspondingly, a research agenda that prescribes and describes a sequential pathway for advancing traceability scholarship and practice is proposed. The study concludes that scaling traceability as a transformative governance framework offers a viable pathway for the leather industry to transition from fragmented traceability experimentation toward integrated sustainability governance.