From Cow to Cactus: Adrian López Verlarde and Desserto Cactus Leather Heart of Waraba

Desserto is an alternative to animal leather, which not only kills cows but produces unimaginable amounts of waste,

Desserto has patented a technology that transforms mature cactus leaves into a soft multipurpose

material. The product is aimed towards brands of all sizes who are looking to transform their respective

industries by taking a stand against the normalized unsustainability of leather. 

Desserto is tackling the problems with traditional leather by offering a high-quality product to revolutionize the industry.

Using cactus just made sense. A native plant is known for its stability and resilience, it was abundant and

carried symbolism of the place and culture of Mexico. “It is even on our flag”, Adrian pointed out to me.

Having raised no capital, they used money from their savings and family loans to begin a two-year R and

D process to make their envisioned product a reality. “At the beginning, many people were skeptical

about the project and didn’t think it was going to be possible, but we stuck to it”, he explained.

Eventually, they settled upon a cactus species, technology, and production cycle.



This podcast was edited and produced by Ben Rappaport. Our theme music was composed by Anu Frempong.


---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/heart-of-waraba/support