ABOUT US | DESSERTO
Our WHY
In the heart of Mexico, we began a journey with a simple but urgent question: what if materials could exist without harming the planet?
We are Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez, and together we set out to challenge the environmental cost of plastics and toxic chemicals. In a small workshop surrounded by cactus fields, we started experimenting with something most people had never considered a material source. Not as a trend—but as a responsibility.
From two years of relentless research and development, Desserto® was born. In October 2019, we introduced it in Milan, not as an alternative for the sake of replacement, but as proof that materials can be created differently—responsibly, without compromise. A cactus-based material that could meet the demands of design, performance, and sustainability at the same time.
Our background in the furniture, automotive, and fashion industries made the problem impossible to ignore. We had seen firsthand how materials shape entire ecosystems of production—and how much impact they leave behind. At some point, we made a decision: to leave our conventional paths behind and build something new. That decision became Desserto®.
This is not just a company to us. It is a commitment to developing advanced cactus-based materials and expanding what is possible in material innovation. What we create is meant to serve industries, but also to question them—to show that better solutions are not only necessary, but achievable.
We also understand that change cannot happen in isolation. From students and entrepreneurs to global brands, we invite others into this shift. Because sustainability is not an individual effort—it is a collective one.
We live in a world defined by harsh chemicals and plastics, but we choose to imagine something else: a world where materials like Desserto® exist as a natural evolution of design and responsibility.
As material developers, we accept the responsibility that comes with creation. We design with awareness of our impact, aiming not only to reduce harm but to actively improve how materials interact with the world around us. For us, sustainability is not optional—it is essential.
We believe in imagination, even when it seems improbable. A material made from cactus once sounded like an idea too far removed from reality. But we also know that ideas only become real when they are built with discipline, collaboration, and a deep understanding of the industries they are meant to serve.
Desserto is committed to advancing agriculture through innovation and responsible stewardship of the Earth’s ecosystems. We develop intelligent, circular farming systems designed to enhance biodiversity while creating resilient and sustainable production models.
Through collaboration across the full value chain—from land management and production to global brands and distribution networks—we transform agricultural innovation into scalable bio-based solutions.
Our work spans agriculture, natural raw materials and bio-based polymers delivering solutions and technologies that meet the demands of modern industries while supporting long-term environmental balance.
Under our brand Desserto, we are driving the transition toward responsible, high-performance materials for a more sustainable global economy.
