desserto, a highly sustainable plant-based vegan leather made from cactus

desserto is a highly sustainable plant based vegan-leather made from cactus, often distinguished by its great softness to touch while offering great performance for a wide variety of applications and complying with the most rigorous quality and environmental standards. developed by two mexicans who used to work in the automotive and fashion industries — where they identified strong environmental impact in both sectors — this vegan leather aims to offer a cruel-free and sustainable alternative, without toxic chemicals, phthalates and PVC.

images by desserto

the desserto cactus vegan leather is partially biodegradable and has the technical specifications required by the fashion, leather goods, furniture and even automotive industries. this leather replacement means less harm to cows and other animals, minimum water use and carbon dioxide absorption. the result is an organic and durable vegan leather that lasts up to ten years. it’s flexible, breathable and it doesn’t stain.

located in the mexican state of zacatecas, the desserto farm is an example of how innovation can be developed responsibly. there, the harvesting process respects the cactus cycle where they select and cut only the mature leaves of the plant around every 6-8 months. no irrigation systems is used as the cacti grow healthy with rain water and earth minerals found in the area.

after cutting the mature leaves, they are dried under the sun for three days until the desired humidity levels are achieved. the organic raw material is then processes and mixed with non-toxic chemicals and then shaped into any texture and color. the ranch is fully organic, so no herbicides or pesticides are used in the process. all the remaining organic cactus material not used is exported and sold nationally to the food industry. the desserto vegan leather made of cactus is in the top 30 finalists of the LVMH innovation award 2020.