Banofi Leather
Plant-based leather made from banana stem fibre blended with natural binders and starches.
Constraints: animal leather requires toxic processing chemicals, high water use, and industrial supply chains inaccessible to small producers
Resources available: banana crop waste (abundant agricultural byproduct), natural binders and starches, material science research
Solution: fibres extracted from banana stems, blended into a composite that replicates the look, feel, and smell of leather — 95% less water, 90% less carbon emissions, zero toxic waste