Vegan Mexican Cactus Leather Wins International Eco Award

Vegan cactus leather company Desserto recently won the VII International Green Product Award in Munich, Germany. Created by Mexican entrepreneurs Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez, Desserto is the first organic leather made entirely from the nopal (or prickly-pear) cactus. The award recognizes the best innovative and sustainable products and services made by companies and startups worldwide. Last month, the company was nominated for the renowned award among 1,463 products, materials, and concepts from 52 countries on six continents.

This is the first time a company from Mexico has been recognized with the honor. “It is an honor for us to receive this badge,” López Velarde and Cázarez said. “It is a recognition of the hard work of our company in the development of sustainable products made with cactus fibers, an alternative to synthetic leather and animal leather.” López Velarde and Cázarez said that this recognition shows that environmental commitment and animal preservation have no borders. “We will passionately keep research[ing] and develop[ing] as vivid[ly] as we were at the beginning, looking for creative ways to innovate for the environment,” the entrepreneurs said.