Cactus, a miracle of nature

Nowadays climate change is one of the biggest challenges that humanity has to face, in the future prolonged droughts and desertification are the subjects - among others-, that will address several countries, specifically Africa and Asia, where farmers and small producers of low income will become seriously affected. If people want to survive on these harsh conditions, their crops must need to tolerate drought, high temperatures and poor soils. 

Cacti interest around the world has grown with special focus on nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica) because of its unique characteristics, which provides it with resilience towards the limiting conditions previously mentioned. The nopal is capable of growing on land where other crops won’t prosper. It can be used for the restoration of degraded land in many countries, it is the only crop which can be trust where all the others have failed. This plant by its own right should be among the miracles of nature. The cultivation of nopal was originated in Mexico which is still the main producer and consumer in the world.

Desserto® stands as the world's pioneering organic material made from the Nopal cactus, commonly known as the prickly pear. This groundbreaking material is not only highly sustainable but also environmentally friendly, offering a spectrum of colors, thicknesses, and textures that can surpass the evolving demands of various industries.

INNOVATION DEVELOPED IN A RESPONSIBLE WAY

Nestled in the heart of Mexico, specifically in the state of Zacatecas, we operate a ranch where we cultivate our raw material - the cactus. Our cultivation methods are rooted in responsibility and sustainability:

• We carefully select and harvest only mature leaves every 6-8 months, ensuring minimal impact on the cactus.
• Our cactus thrives on rainwater and locally abundant minerals, eliminating the need for an irrigation system.
• The chosen cactus species is resilient, enduring low temperatures without compromising its health, making it safe and efficient for our agriculture team to harvest.

The cactus plantation is perennial, lasting around 8 years, unlike annual C3 plantations like corn. The native CAM (Crassulacean Acid Metabolism) cactus species we cultivate boasts water-efficient metabolism, absorbing CO2 during the night and minimizing water consumption through its natural hygroscopic mechanism.

Our farm practices embrace biodiversity, preserving native flora, and providing a habitat for wild fauna. No trees are cut down, and the fully organic cultivation stimulates micro-flora and micro-fauna in the soil.

After harvesting, the mature leaves undergo a solarium drying process for three days, eliminating the need for additional energy. The organic raw material is then processed into Desserto®, following our patented formula. The ranch remains entirely organic, free from herbicides and pesticides. Any surplus organic cactus material not used in our process is exported and sold in the national food industry.

C3 plants typically require around 1,000 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of dry matter or material. In contrast, cactus (CAM) achieves the same result with only 200 liters. Importantly, these 200 liters are absorbed by the cactus itself through its natural hygroscopic mechanism, showcasing its remarkable water-efficient nature.

THE TOP 10 SUSTAINABLE FACTS ABOUT DESSERTO® ORGANIC CACTUS FEED-STOCK:

1. Biodiversity amelioration in the region. 

2. Reverts Land Use Change (LUC).

3. Enrichment of soil micro-flora and micro-fauna through native and typical organic cactus afforestation.

4. Huge savings in water as no irrigation is applied. 

5. Environmental preservation as no chemicals are used like herbicides or pesticides.

6. Cactus is left unharmed to enable repeated harvesting from the same plant. 

7. Energy savings by drying the feed-stock in a solarium. 

8. No cross-industry conflict as the byproduct is directed to the food industry in an increased value form which is more attractive, and stimulates the agricultural sector to plant more cactus. 

9. Full vision and traceability of the farm to ensure sustainable social practices. 

10. Technological enhancements at the fields.

 CACTUS CO2 SEQUESTERING CAPACITY AND WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM:

Cactus serves as a natural carbon sink, capable of sequestering a substantial amount of CO2. Across our 14 acres, we absorb 8,100 tons of CO2 per year, while our annual CO2 emissions at the farm are a mere 15.30 tons, underlining our commitment to carbon neutrality.

The increase of nopal plantations can be a strategy to relieve the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere. Nopal plantations can be used as water and carbon reserves on arid and semi-arid regions where climate is erratic. 

The nopal is a CAM (Crassulacean Acid Metabolism), its ecological success is mainly attributed to its peculiar daily pattern of carbon fixation and water loss, which occur mainly at night. Similar to other CAM plants, the nopal opens its stomata at night to fix CO2 since night temperatures are lower than daytime ones, and relative humidity is in general higher, transpiration of CAM plants is about three to four times lower than of C3 and C4 plant species respectively. The result is a tremendous efficiency increase in the use of water and in the ability of the plant to survive on semi-arid environment which are characterized for having a restricted water availability (200-300mm of annual rain) or where long periods of drought and high temperatures occur. 

Characteristics (Nopal CAM compared to C3 and C4 plants)- Water content and storage: CAM 90-95% whereas C3 and C4 40-70%- Water loss: 20 to 30% of what C3 and C4 loss.- Low root proportions: CAM grows faster.- Management of water: CAM internal water recycling system from the parenchyma to the chlorenchyma maintaining the turgor of the photosynthetic tissue over a wide range of moisture content.

We've all heard the saying, "The Amazon is the Lungs of the Earth," but what if we told you that these vital lungs are being choked by 200 million cattle? Yes, you read that right – cattle, not logging, is the prime culprit. The staggering truth is that cattle ranching stands as the leading force behind the relentless deforestation of the Amazon. A shocking 450,000 sq.km. of Brazil's rainforest has now been transformed into pasture – an area surpassing the size of Germany (350,000 sq.km.)

They say a piece of hamburger is a piece of the Amazon, and the reality is just as stark: 20% of the Amazon has been ruthlessly obliterated, with an area equivalent to the UK vanishing annually, and sometimes even more.

Now, let's delve into the staggering statistics beyond the rainforest: A heart-wrenching 72 billion animals are slaughtered every year, leading to a cataclysmic impact on our planet. A third of a million tons of fish are mercilessly caught annually for cattle feed, and a corresponding third of all crop land is sacrificed for the same purpose. Brace yourself for what's coming – by 2025, the demand for meat is estimated to surge by a staggering 33% to 40%.

Leather production, often deemed a by-product of the meat industry, presents itself as an environmental conundrum. While some argue that the tanning industry is merely repurposing a product that would otherwise end up in landfills, the devastating truth lies in the environmental havoc caused by the prevalent use of Chromium in leather production. Chromium-tanned leather, the industry's favored method, relies on a toxic slush of Chromium salts and tanning liquor.

Even in fully modernized tanneries, it's nearly impossible to reclaim all the pollutants generated by the tanning process. To put it bluntly, tanning one ton of hide results in 20 to 80 cubic meters of wastewater, with Chromium concentrations around 250 mg/L and Sulphide concentrations at approximately 500 mg/L. This, along with offal effluence and pesticides, contributes to a toxic cocktail that poses a severe threat to our environment.

An astonishing 70% of an untreated hide ends up as solid waste, including hair, fat, meat, and sinew, discarded straight into landfills. Wastewater pollution, stemming from the initial preparation stage, mixes bits of flesh, hair, mould, excrement, and other animal by-products into wash water, perpetuating the environmental toll.

For example, Kanpur, India - the self proclaimed ''Leather City of the World'' this city once housed more than 10,000 tanneries which, in 2003, were dumping more than 22 tons of effluence into the Ganges river everyday. The city acted in 2009, sealing 49 of the highest-polluting tanneries in town - out of a list of 404 heavy polluters.

Take a glimpse into "The Leather City of the World," Kanpur, India, where more than 10,000 tanneries were dumping over 22 tons of effluence into the Ganges River daily in 2003. The city took action in 2009, shutting down 49 of the highest-polluting tanneries out of 404. Another horrific example is the Hazaribagh neighborhood in Dhaka, rated as one of the five most toxic and polluted sites globally by the Blacksmith Institute.

Shifting our focus to the material itself, cow-derived leather carries almost three times the negative environmental impact as its synthetic counterparts, including polyurethane (PU) leather. This traditional leather has the most substantial impact on eutrophication, a severe ecological problem where runoff waste triggers excessive plant growth in water systems.

The staggering revelation is that approximately 80% of leather worldwide is tanned using Chrome. The Indian leather industry releases copious amounts of toxic chemicals and acidic effluents laden with heavy metals like Chromium, Cadmium, Lead, Arsenic, Cobalt, Copper, Iron, Zinc, and Manganese. This toxic cocktail infiltrates the sacred Ganges, further exacerbating environmental distress.

The true cost of leather is not just monetary – it's an environmental tragedy, a tale of deforestation, pollution, and ecological imbalance. It's high time we confront the shocking realities behind our choices and consider alternatives that tread more lightly on our planet.