# Cactus-Based Leather Alternatives Desserto is a Cruelty-Free Leather Made from Nopal Cactus By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2019-11-07 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cruelty-free-leather References: [vegnews](https://vegnews.com/2019/11/two-guys-in-mexico-just-created-vegan-leather-from-cactus) & [facebook](https://www.facebook.com/desserto.pelle/) In years past, those wishing to avoid purchasing genuine leather products have been limited to options like pleather but a range of cruelty-free leather alternatives are emerging that are made with everything from banana and pineapple fiber to apples and mushrooms. Now, [Desserto](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cactus-leather-embroidery-collection) is making its mark as a first-of-its-kind organic leather made from the prickly pear, or nopal, cactus. The material is partially biodegradable, flexible, durable and a suitable replacement for both animal leather and synthetic materials. Notably, the innovative, comfortable and cruelty-free vegan material is also breathable, which makes it comparable to the way animal leather performs. The [cactus or nopal vegan leather](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mercer-rerun-sneaker) was developed to meet the specific mechanical technical demands needed for producing items across the fashion, [furniture and automotive industries](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/renault-interiors). ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.3/10 - Popularity: 87% | Activity: 93% | Freshness: 9% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Cruelty-free Leather Alternatives:** The emergence of new leather alternatives made from organic materials such as cactus, pineapple fiber, banana fiber, apples, and mushrooms provide disruptive innovation opportunities across fashion, furniture, and automotive industries. - **Organic Leather:** Producing environmentally safe and partially biodegradable organic leather from prickly pear cactus presents opportunities to disrupt both the animal leather and synthetic materials industries as well as create a sustainable fashion future. - **Breathable Vegan Materials:** The development of breathable vegan materials such as the cactus-based leather provides opportunities for the creation of innovative and sustainable materials that perform like animal leather but are more comfortable and cruelty-free. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Fashion:** The use of organic leather derived from cacti presents the fashion industry with disruptive innovation opportunities to create unique, eco-friendly, and sustainable designs that are both cruelty-free and fashionable. - **Furniture:** Replacing traditional leather with organic alternatives such as the cactus-based leather can provide the furniture industry with new eco-friendly and durable materials for use in the crafting of comfortable furniture while reducing environmental impact. - **Automotive:** Developing and producing cactus-based leather for use in automotive interiors opens up opportunities for the automobile industry to create more comfortable, sustainable, and cruelty-free interiors for vehicles while reducing environmental impact. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Cruelty-Free Leather Alternatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/crueltyfree-leather-alternative.md) - [PETA-Approved Leather Alternatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/biodegradable-leather-alternative.md) - [Cactus Leather Tech Accessories](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ces-2024-otterbox.md) - [Fruit-Based Leather Alternatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/peelsphere.md) - [Plant-Based Car Leather](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/leather-alternative-1.md) - [Alt Leather Phone Cases](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/casetify-bioveg-collection.md) - [Mushroom Leather Seating Solutions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mushroom-leather-seating.md) - [Eco Cactus Leather Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mercer-rerun-sneaker.md) - [Embroidered Phone Cases](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cactus-leather-embroidery-collection.md)