<p>Desserto is an alternative to animal leather, which not only kills cows but produces unimaginable amounts of waste,</p> <p>Desserto has patented a technology that transforms mature cactus leaves into a soft multipurpose</p> <p>material. The product is aimed towards brands of all sizes who are looking to transform their respective</p> <p>industries by taking a stand against the normalized unsustainability of leather.&nbsp;</p> <p>Desserto is tackling the problems with traditional leather by offering a high-quality product to revolutionize the industry.</p> <p>Using cactus just made sense. A native plant is known for its stability and resilience, it was abundant and</p> <p>carried symbolism of the place and culture of Mexico. “It is even on our flag”, Adrian pointed out to me.</p> <p>Having raised no capital, they used money from their savings and family loans to begin a two-year R and</p> <p>D process to make their envisioned product a reality. “At the beginning, many people were skeptical</p> <p>about the project and didn’t think it was going to be possible, but we stuck to it”, he explained.</p> <p>Eventually, they settled upon a cactus species, technology, and production cycle.</p> <p><br></p> <p><strong>This podcast was edited and produced by Ben Rappaport. Our theme music was composed by Anu Frempong.</strong></p>