Rainforests are prized for storing carbon, but Mexico’s cactuses are also vital to climate cooling, and provide leather too.

LONDON, 14 April, 2021 − It may come as a surprise to realise that a plant  struggling for survival in a harsh environment is also doing its bit to save the planet from the threats of the rapidly changing climate. But that’s what Mexico’s cactuses are managing to do.

Research published in the journal The Science of Nature shows that desert soils supporting a high density of cactus contain large quantities of stored bio-minerals (minerals produced by living organisms), formed by the action of the plants in extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Not only that. Cactuses can also be harvested, processed and turned into a form of leather used to make fashion accessories like purses and wallets.

These two attributes have been turned into a successful business by a Mexican/American company, CACTO. It claims to be the first “carbon negative fashion company in the Americas” − in other words, its activities remove more carbon from the atmosphere than it creates in making and marketing its products.

No animals involved

This is a bold claim in an industry struggling with its poor environmental record. According to McKinsey and Co. the worldwide fashion industry emits about the same amount of greenhouse gases as France, Germany and the United Kingdom combined. But CACTO gives Mexico’s cactuses special treatment.

CACTO’s products are vegan and so allow a growing class of consumers to buy leather objects that are made without any animal products.

The research into the ability of cactus to extract carbon from the atmosphere and store it was carried out on one cactus species, the saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea), which can grow to 40 feet (12 metres).

It is native to the Sonoran desert in Arizona and the Mexican state of Sonora, and shares with all other cactus varieties the same abilities for dealing with carbon. This has proved a bonus for CACTO because cactuses are the most numerous plants in Mexico.

“The decisions we make this decade will determine the fate of humanity for centuries to come. It is up to us now”

CACTO’s plantations are organic, fed by rainwater, free of herbicides and pesticides, and renewable, and after the ears, or leaves; of the cactus are harvested, the plant grows a replacement in six to eight months. This regeneration allows repeat harvesting. The leaves are then sun-dried to avoid using any electricity. The company’s products (available only in green or black) are on sale in more than 100 countries.

CACTO was founded by Jesus Chavez, a climate campaigner, and was designed to have sustainability as a guiding principle at the core of its operation. The entire production cycle is closely monitored by its staff, from the sourcing of materials to production, packaging, distribution and shipping.

Through a partnership with a Swiss non-profit organisation, On a Mission, CACTO says its staff have measured and offset 150% of its CO2 emissions through sustainable reforestation worldwide.

The measurement and offsetting process will take place every six months for the next 10 years. Through several emergent partnerships, the company says it aims to offset at least 1000% of the emissions it generates by the end of 2021.

Engaging entrepreneurs

Jesus Chavez said: “If we want to succeed in reaching net zero carbon emissions well before 2050 and avoid the worst consequences of climate change, we must all work in concert in whatever capacity we are able to.

“Industries across the board need to benefit from existing technology and offsetting programmes to become carbon-negative, and to invest in new research and innovation to reach that goal faster. The decisions we make this decade will determine the fate of humanity for centuries to come. It is up to us now.”

He said customers around the world wanted alternatives to materials that increased pollution and to unethical manufacturing processes.

CACTO hopes to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs to make clear what has been evident to specialists for decades, that decoupling emissions from economic growth is not only feasible, but is the smartest, fastest and most responsible way to grow. Mexico’s cactuses bear a heavy responsibility on their ears − or leaves − or branches.− Climate News Network