India hopes for cactus alternative to leather

Cactus may become prove very useful in Indian regions which are susceptible to suffering from drought conditions.

Plans are being considered by India’s State Rural Development Department to promote cactus cultivation in arid regions of the country. This scheme would be established in order to encourage the production of cattle feed and fertilisers, as well as making vegan substitutes for leather. According to officials, the move towards the cultivation of cacti for commercial purposes aligns with sustainable practices and contributes to the broader goal of making what they term ‘environmentally-friendly alternatives to leather’.

Although the project is still in its early planning stages, secretary of the Rural Development Department, Chandra Shekhar, has drawn attention to the potential of cactus to utilise land that is otherwise unsuitable for traditional agricultural requirements in regions which are very susceptible to drought.

Cacti occur in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. They are native to the Americas, from Patagonia in the south to parts of western Canada in the north. Only one specie – Rhipsalis baccifera – is also found in Africa and Sri Lanka.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 2 of the January 2024 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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