Why Tiny Cactus Bugs In Red Food Dye Are A $35 Billion Industry | Big Business | Insider Business

Cochineals are tiny bugs that live on prickly pear cactuses. The acid in their guts makes a red dye used in textiles, cosmetics, and foods like M&Ms and Yoplait yogurt. Indigenous people across Latin America traded it for thousands of years. It can be found on the walls of archeological sites, in priceless paintings, and in the robes of kings. But today, Peru dominates the market, and Mexico’s cochineal farms are disappearing.
We met a few of the country’s last farmers trying to keep the ancient tradition alive.
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Why Tiny Cactus Bugs In Red Food Dye Are A $35 Billion Industry | Big Business | Insider Business

[@lt530]

I'm all for animal rights, but these are literally bugs. Also, it doesn't sound like they're screwing up an ecosystem or overcultivating. Not my field, but I don't see the problem with this ancient practice being protected.

[@sunshine3914]

Corporate sees a way to make a quick profit - that’s all.

[@symnatic]

No you're not for animals rights If you think they can be murdered. Disgusting af

[@poppinc8145]

It's less so about animal rights and more so about people not wanting intentional bugs in foods that otherwise could be plant-derived. It's not just vegans and vegetarians who don't like it, anybody who has dietary restrictions including Muslims and Jews and anyone who just doesn't want to consume bugs, do not want insect-derived dyes in food products either.

[@diwucalberich462]

@@poppinc8145 i'm a muslim and yes u cannot eat all types of bugs, but there are some from grasshopper family u can eat and it's allowed. And we are not against people eating bugs, it's like restricted just for us muslims but other people can, so religion is not the main reason here

[@mooltz]

@@poppinc8145 ... Hate to burst your bubble, but theres bugs in nearly all plant matter, especially processed. You are ALWAYS eating bugs when eating anything made of flour, fruit juice, canned veggies, peanut butter etc, It is unavoidable.

[@AzazelBathory]

I love how these ladies revere the insects and take honest pride in this. It’s beautiful to see such respect and passion in what they do

[@billyd7628]

well the bugs are their livelihood, no wonder they take pride in the bugs and respect them.

[@artemiusz69]

It's something that vegans and "animal rights activist" could never comprehend. Farmers love and respect their animals, they take great care of them because these animals are their livelihood

[@symnatic]

@@artemiusz69 they literally rape, abuse and murder them in most Industries. Has nothing to do with Love. But i guess your Just do dumb to think through that

[@iainduncan0303]

Is that before or after the squish them into a paste? Lol but nah, I hope the tradition continues

[@PhilLesh69]

Here's something you don't understand. The notion of the quaint family farm where pa farmer toils in the fields all day while the kids go to the one room school house in the nearby town and ma hangs the day's laundry out to dry in the sunshine and fresh air, and everyone from miles around catches up with each other at the church services every Sunday at the same one room school house, is just that. A notion. A theatrical trope, not a reality. It's *_Little House on the Prairie,_* fantasy, not reality. Charles Keeating and four other conservative bankers took care of the last few remaining family farms via foreclosures and equipment debt burdens so onerous they were forced into indentured tenant farming, during the savings and loan crisis of the nineteen eighties. Most food consumed in America is not grown or raised by a family farmer working the land he owns. The vast majority of the food you eat is produced by large multinational food production concerns like Monsanto, ConAgra, Tyson, Hormel, Nestle, Mars, etc. In fact, by now there are probably really only three separate entities who produce and control the overwhelming majority of our food supply. You might find more independently owned and operated family farm products at farmers markets, small local organic stores, and online. But the majority of the stuff at a grocery store comes from only a handful of corporate food producers.

[@walden6272]

The bugs gets to live a full, comfortable life that is protected by the farmer and in return they give the farmer their dead body to produce the red dye. What a beautiful mutually beneficial relationship.

[@edward3190]

such is life ;)

[@BloodwyrmWildheart]

That's certainly one way to sugarcoat systematic genocide.

[@edward3190]

@@BloodwyrmWildheart Whenever you brush your teeth or take dump, you killed several hundreds of billions of lives of single cell organism. That's systematic genocide of the largest scale. How do you justify that lol.

[@Ayla_Evanscence]

@@BloodwyrmWildheartooo big words 😂 much concern for bugs. Mosquitos must love you for letting them feed.

[@ethanacton408]

@@BloodwyrmWildheart do you even know the definition of genocide? they have been farming them for years. It's not a genocide when they are allowing them to live on for generations. not to mention there are still hundreds if not thousands of miles of untouched land where these bugs are interfered with plus they are a parasite, so with that logic, your telling me you would just let malaria-infested mosquitoes bite millions because it would be systematic genocide to kill them?

[@tired690]

Theres a gofundme for catalina's cochineal business. Its called Let's rescue cochineal dye mexico and it's run and maintained by Claudia. It hasn't reached its 5k goal but if you wish to continue the cochineal usage in Mexico I recommend giving it a donate!

[@KatherineDattilo]

I'm an artist who appreciates this so much, and also a person who is horribly allergic to artificial dyes, no kidding red 40 has nearly ended me a couple times.. I sincerely hope that this tradition does not die out, the love these women have for their craft is so lovely

[@aimeem]

Yes, this. People get grossed out, but cochineal is impressively nontoxic.

[@lukedeneson6933]

If only people didn’t put it in food

[@Rhythm911]

It would be nice, and also sensible, for all food dyes to be made organically like this !!

[@THandP_org]

They are able to fulfill smaller orders. Maybe artists could support these women by buying directly from the smaller, artisanal farms? Trying to think of ways to make this sustainable, as Oaxaca is predominantly Indigenous people who have deliberately been disenfranchised by prior governments. This was the region where the college aged students all disappeared from their buses about a decade ago, and their families still don't have the children or their bodies returned. Oaxaca is a beautiful place, and the people have beautiful hearts to match. This tradition of caring for the nogales and their parasites is thousands of years old... shutting them down is cruel, and whether intentionally or not, contributes to ongoing genocide of their culture.

[@bboyJIZ1]

You mean “ this tradition does not DYE out.. pun intended 😂

[@skaareen]

“Cockroaches are ugly, but these are just beautiful” that is actually the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard said about a parasite.

[@ricardocastro253]

then she smushes them

[@Edible_Kittens]

@@ricardocastro253to love is to be crushed.

[@Jaesthetic_music]

Cockroaches are NOT parasites. They Break down all sorts of organic waste down to earth again. That is not what parasites do

[@leighmiller78]

Please don't stop raising these amazing bugs! This is an amazing process and we need to support this profession!

[@nocheztlicalli]

We appreciate your comment, please share our fundraising campaign called "nocheztlicalli" so that the workshop of maestra Catalina can continue to preserve this tradition of art and color.

[@CensorshipIsOpression]

I love natural dyes that aren't harmful to the eco system or to the ones consuming/using the products. Don't worry about vegetarians and religious people and others, as long as your product is labeled in a way that's easy to see and understand, then the responsibility is on them about avoiding the products, you're not the one responsible for their life choices.

[@KellsieThomas]

She’s so sweet and soft spoken. Her love for her culture is admirable to the extreme! So awesome!

[@turnip5359]

@Repent and believe in Jesus Christ shit up knee grow!!!

[@SandyRiverBlue]

@@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist9 Ugh. Also, 1 Corinthians 1-11? Who's going to tell all those baseball fans that they are doing the devil's work? But also, motorcycle helmets too. Man, the struggle is real.

[@paloma_lopez]

@@SandyRiverBlue Is funny how the skeptics like to sound smart when all they talk is jiberish . At least religion folks have respect unlike others ... we should learn from them .

[@SandyRiverBlue]

@@paloma_lopez Would that it were true, because so much of the world exists in one form of theocracy or another, unfortunately, history belies your statement. If you want to find the apogee of human cruelty and horror go no further than the countries they set up for themselves. If on the other hand, you want to find countries with high standards of living and religious freedom for all, you can do no better than a secular country. Let me give you an example. My friend went to Saudia Arabia about 10 years ago and while there he went to the mall only to find out that they were having a public execution in the parking lot, a beheading no less. Now I'm not saying that these folks didn't do something deserving of execution, but holding it in a place where small children could be present wouldn't even be an option in other, secular, countries that also have executions (Japan and the United States for example). He said that it was so odd to be surrounded by the trappings of modernity while also being surrounded by the trappings of the medieval.

[@kristopherwatkins45]

@Kellsie Thomas Hello! How are you doing? Hope all is well with you and your family? Wishing you good health and lots of happiness

[@kylenevel8809]

I used to have these bugs grow on my cacti on my porch here in Arizona. They honestly grossed me out as a kid but the reverence and respect these women show for the bug is honestly heartwarming.

[@alexcarter8807]

Check out "red dye" amaranth. You probably know it as a weed. The roots have a very red dye, much purer and more intense red than this pink stuff they're talking about here.

[@juliyanmartinez3785]

Heartwarming? Everything is profit motivated

[@getin3949]

But the animal rights people are making yet another fuss about an otherwise useless, hideous bug.

[@kylenevel8809]

@@juliyanmartinez3785 they're both talking about how they are operating in the red. You can tell they have legitimate respect for the art of farming them.

[@warrust]

@@alexcarter8807 the red no.2 that was mentioned on the 10th minute of this video?

[@savannahwilson9955]

Bless her!! She is one special, & amazingly talented woman!!! I’m seriously amazed by her attitude. She just gives off kindness & looove vibes!!! 🫶🫶🫶

[@alecjoncas7764]

I absolutely love this lady…I hope the practice continues, it has been around for generations and should continue to be, not everything needs to be shut down bc off modern ideals

[@FolkloreLover]

This is a wonderful practice! There is no environmental cost from this production, there is no abuse in the bug’s cultivation, the harvest is quick and merciful. This practice is far better than others that harvest from other animals. Huge props to these ladies!

[@mr.skunkfishing5820]

yet some how.... activist are still an obstacle for these people.

[@temkin9298]

@@mr.skunkfishing5820 All animals including humans are exploitive and we will use everything for ourselves. However what we must understand is important principles we must protect what ever those may be. Tourture of creatures, killing with no gain, hurting without reason. True problem is morality which is something only oneself can do without any natural guidance. So where will people draw the line? Protect everything without understanding why even if protection is something that may hurt them more? Inflict more pain to the instigator even if the act will only satisfy yourself without known who are you doing it to? People (myself included) can't pay attention to something enough or constantly in a state of guided confusion fall into a state of doing nothing or doing without thinking. Unfortunately there is nothing to be done hopefully everyone can look at the overall situation because there isn't much a blind crowd can do.

[@rollin340]

@@mr.skunkfishing5820 People will always be mad about something. They'll wail and whine about it, and never actually stop to think about the people their complaints hurt.

[@lisanyugenhascancer6332]

You don't feel pain either so let me do this to u

[@patriotenfield3276]

@@rollin340 empty mind a devils workshop. no wonder post modern activism often ends up kicking in their own foots.

[@aidensiebert6291]

The way she talks about the bugs it’s quite admirable I love how much she cares not only about her job but also her culture

[@Kabodanki]

yes but we have leftist working hard to kill their culture, all of that from their overpriced iphone

[@fritzschnitzmueller3768]

lmao what?Where in the video does she talk about the bugs like this? She just says they are better than cockroaches :D

[@FactsRiddles-ly6cf]

Yes!

[@priscillasaravia]

@@fritzschnitzmueller3768 she calls them precious, she says “their little body” in an endearing way, in Spanish.

[@indolent_canadian1759]

personally finding out candy and yogurt are made out of bugs thats terrifying

[@sadgirllokaaa]

her voice and love for these bugs is the cutest thing ever

[@rosswilliams2303]

She is just so sweet ❤

[@user-xc5bz3np4g]

The way she describes everything…conejitos, cuerpecitos- it’s so cute and endearing. I hope she can keep her business going

[@peteyesco]

Agreed!

[@WanderingMiqo]

I think this is so awesome. Growing up in a Mexican household, we always had a lot of nopal plants around. I used to see these white bugs on a few of the paddles. I knew what they were but never thought much about them. I think it's amazing how creative humans are.

[@user-xq1dx8qx6q]

🙏🏾🥰

[@nunyabiznes33]

Nopal is also edible right? Do nopal bear edible fruits too?

[@avocadapancake5996]

@@nunyabiznes33 The pads are edible, as are the fruit or "tuna"

[@nunyabiznes33]

@@avocadapancake5996 is nopal the same cactus that became invasive in Australia? I'd like to have those plants but worry they might become invasive here too.

[@avocadapancake5996]

@@nunyabiznes33 I just did a quick search on google and yes they are the same plant! I wouldn't worry about them spreading out of control though, there are cactus moths that can quickly control the spread

[@Scott-jf1nh]

The Spanish imported these dried cochineal scale insects just after the conquest. They made a fortune from these mysterious ‘seeds’ as their competitors called them. Before they were discovered there were few options to permanently dye fabric red. Kermes, another insect in Europe was one and very weak in comparison. The English had madder root but it was very difficult to use and impermanent. This new red was amazing and very costly for many decades. Everyone thought it was a seed from the new world. In transit across the ocean, the legs of the insects falls off of it and it does look like a strange seed. It wasn’t until the microscope was invented that the secret was discovered. Secret Agents were dispatched to the new world from various countries in order to find the insect and bring them back to breed in Europe. It never really worked. Now Mexico, the land that brought us chocolate AND vanilla has lost the industry to Peru. Spain made more money from the cochineal than gold in all those years, it is said. A good book to read on this subject is, “The color red.”

[@240SSONLY]

The lady being interviewed has such a sweet old lady voice. You can tell she works hard as hell to keep those Nopales covered in bugs. Bless her heart

[@TheNinjaMarmot]

It's a shame. Mexico cannot let this die out in their country. It has a lot of history.

[@shinokami0076]

when you see how the mexican government is having fun with the tequilla industry you start to understand their "problem"

[@ceciliamedrano4839]

So much so that another country is thriving in the industry instead of Mexico 🇲🇽 sad to see it happen.

[@symnatic]

Yeah so nice how they murder animals for coloring which can literally made artificially without any problem.

[@veramae4098]

If it would become really profitable, the criminal gangs would move in. As they're doing with avocado farmers; those farmers have had to set up near militias to deal with the gangs. They report little or no help from authorities -- who are being paid off. Source: Wired Magazine

[@ceciliamedrano4839]

@@veramae4098 It’s true, the police and military for with the cartel too. And the ones that don’t, turn a blind eye bc they are not going to risk their lives. They know how powerful the cartel and government is. There is no Justice in Mexico. I love my country but the government system is completely corrupt to the core.

[@Halo3RuLEZ22]

I'm a big history buff, and learning just how useful and important culturally this practice really is to the Mexican people, really makes me appreciate and admire how hard these women and farmers go out of their way to keep this time honored tradition alive and still a staple in modern times. Really hope these aren't forgotten cause that will be another tragedy we shouldn't allow to happen.

[@estebancorral5151]

Well, you should investigate the chinampas of the Nahuas (Aztecs.). They were floating islands on Lake Texococo around their capital of Tenochtitlán. They cultivated their straple crops on these islands. With a different technique they cultivate spirulina which is nor considered a super food.

[@nilesbutler8638]

Its always impressive how much economical and cultural weight such things as basically "useless" colourings can have. Wether on talks about carmine conchinille red, phoenician purpur from sea snails or egyptian blue made of rare malachite. Humans do not have any tangible profit from colours. They neither sate nor warm nor protect them. Yet still whole industries active for hundreds and thousands of years grew out of them.

[@WhiteWolfeHU]

@@nilesbutler8638 I mean how would you eat strawberry yogurt if it didn’t have strawberry flavoring and crushed bugs? It’s just not possible…

[@Hastur876]

Amazing that Monsanto hasn't come in and destroyed their industry yet.

[@nilesbutler8638]

@@Hastur876 Oh, that artisan agro-market was destroyed about 150 years ago by chemical industry in germany now part of Bayer. What shown here is what little is left. Like handsewn italian leather shoes or handsmithed japanese kitchen knives. A niche market for people willing and able to cash out for the same chemical, but made in the old way instead of in a vat.

[@FreshtexBlackman]

Animal rights activists must really have nothing else going on to be pursuing the protection of some old bug.

[@thename2138]

you making it sound like they spend their whole life just trying to protect these specific bugs

[@davidnelson7719]

@@thename2138 You make it sound like they have a life.

[@shonya2475]

Will technically bugs and humans are a type of animal. Even though they do have classifications on the type of animal such as the word insect. So I was trying to look up how was it animal activist fault but I couldn't find no information on it . I did keep researching to find more information but it wasn't extensive as I wanted it to be. But it seems the industry is slowing down because people were complaining about about red food dye from bugs in their food . But Peru is leading right now in selling this. So I will have to find the law on this type of bug on why it's struggling in Mexico to get a better understanding on how it can be animal activist fault

[@words-island1011]

Its not related with that but just think a little

[@shonya2475]

@@words-island1011 I'm not sure of the answer will there be the change the influence in capital for economic power? Please give me another hint

[@davidgraham2673]

400 kilos x $150 per kilo is $60,000. Great pay for one year in Mexico. She deserves every penny of it.

[@jk-gn2fu]

But she needs to operate a cactus farm and pay for other costs, so actual profit would be much less.

[@DGill48]

I'm a retired Chemistry teacher. When I first took over the Woodstock Academy high school lab from a rertiring teacher in 1970, I found a very old paper container marked "Cochineal Natural" in the chemical storage area. It contained about 200 mls of the dried bugs. At the time, it took some real research to find out what they were.

[@Egg1108]

word

[@hunterbananas4693]

Can’t lead me into a story like that and just giver me the potatoes where the meat of it

[@donnawoodford8145]

So, what did you do with the dead bugs?

[@hunterbananas4693]

@@donnawoodford8145 earring cricket powder contains lots of protein and goes on everything

[@monkeyintellect]

did u make meth tell us a story teacher

[@OtherwordlyPotatoDevourer]

I remember as a kid here in Peru I once went to a field where they had these bugs and I tried to grab one as kids do to get a closer look and it just popped splattering my face red. The amount of colour in a single one is amazing.

[@andrewparedes660]

Perú !!!!

[@mynameisworld]

I had a similar experience in a hotel room in Little Rock, Arkansas. I picked up a bug off of my pillow and it splattered red all over the tissue. It was my first and only experience with a bed bug. We got out of there fast.

[@TheRainbowRose90]

Whew, that brings back memories of when my car got infested with bed bugs while I was living in NYC. I hate those little terrorists.

[@cheyennejewel7716]

Eat ze bugz

[@fernandogaibor8043]

I live in south america, we speak spanish, but I only consume english content, yet, this lady's love for her work is so well driven by her voice, I just loved this video, good job in finding the rigth person to focus on!

[@id10t98]

Bless your patience and work. The first time this northern city slicker saw this on a cactus I didnt know what it was and looked it up and was floored that it turned red and was a food dye.

[@luciusaureliuscommodus6520]

I would like to invest in this lady, not only because I’m Mexican but because I want to help get this back to where it was back then.

[@elbertmoreno2159]

Yea I think it's a good idea

[@brianfitch5469]

Do it

[@claudiaaa4268]

This is an awesome idea. I don't have much but id like to help

[@annabuc8973]

The cochineal bugs industry is one national (and cultural) treasure, this lady, and her family as well, should be seen as another cultural treasure.

[@heehee63]

This lady owns land. She can just grow something else.

[@prestonestes1388]

I think this is amazing, and I would prefer this natural dye over synthetics. Also have any scientists done tests to see how Carmine could be used as a natural insect repellent to keep ants and other harmful insects out of yards or even limit the spread of invasive army ants. There could be a lot of potential there and if it works then the Cochineal farmers could get a second wind.

[@HaLo2121x]

You should create it nice idea

[@johnwig285]

End of the day, "synthetics" are fundamentally natural imo. Like wtv compounds they made from the lab, those compounds would've had to be derived from natural materials first.

[@HaLo2121x]

@@johnwig285 Synthetic food aim to reduce environmental impacts and makes uses of genetic engineering. This creates a number of issues linked to labour dynamics, health issues, and a changing cultural landscape of our relationship to food.

[@poppinc8145]

Most people who think they're getting plant-derived products don't want to end up having ingredients made from bugs. It's not just vegans and vegetarians who don't like it, anybody who has dietary restrictions including Muslims and Jews and anyone who just doesn't want to consume bugs, do not want this in products either.

[@jackli6592]

@@johnwig285 it depends on what SYNTHETIC you made it from, dont tell me getting red dye from petroleum has no harmful side effect.

[@kydra_345]

The people that still remain in this industry probably have more respect for these insects than the activists do

[@JoopKarelSpank1]

@@JeckNoTree i mean if you are vegan or vegetarian you want to refrain from eating animals thats kind off the whole idea. That also means you are not going to buy these products no toxic behavior there it just makes sense. Asking for vegan or vegetarian alternatives is something that makes sense as wel because it will enable the veggie customer to also use the products. Also a lot off problems in the world do not just concern you but are sociatal problems. As for religions, if you believe people that do not follow your religion will be subjected to eternal punishment for that i can imagine why religious people try to convince non religious people to join their religion. We all live in our own subjective reality and it is only human to try and convince others to follow the same beliefs. As a vegetarian myself i think the world could be a better more fair place if meat consumption goes down. I never try and convince people to also become a vegetarian but i do want to seduce people into downsizing on meat consumption and focussing on the stuff you really enjoy. If i can convince you to stop going to all you can eat restaurants with low grade food and spending your money on high grade meat hopefully also from a decent source im happy with that. I stopped eating meat because i didn't really cared for it anyways and i do respect if people do not want to give up on it. I just hope i can convince people to give up on stuff they don't care about that is harmfull. Personally seeing this video i do not see this industry as being extremely harmfull but i do detest the idea off manufactorers adding meat products to food items where it is unclear and not neccesary and the bugs still have to be killed

[@bensmith9984]

@@JoopKarelSpank1 Yeah, eventually we will all be one homogenous society all believing the same thing and eating the same thing. How wonderful.

[@JoopKarelSpank1]

@@bensmith9984 i do believe if we continue this path off globalism mixed with capitalism that is going to happen in the future. But that is not something i am advocating. In my country i can buy processed foods that would otherwise be vegatarian if it werent for the crushed bugs. But if we color meat red here we use a vegan dye. In the food industry there is just so much shady stuff going on. For example if you buy cookies here tailored for babies you'd imagine they go easy on the sugar right? Nah they add even more sugar to those to jumpstart the newborns addiction to sugar to ensure they will be a lifelong customer

[@Nutmeg-]

@@JoopKarelSpank1 Animals eat other animals. Humans are animals. Going against this is going against nature itself. If you'd rather swallow chemical artificial crap over naturally produced products then you are just a sad blob.

[@rawkhawk414]

Hot take, but bugs aren't animals. They're insects. Eating worms is nothing like eating beef. And I literally mean there's no similarities. It's as similar as eating beef is to eating lettuce. It's completely different, incomparable. Frankly I also find it kind of offensive, as a plant lover, to suggest that you don't eat bugs if you eat plants. You absolutely, regularly do. @@JoopKarelSpank1

[@Carolinas_SweetTea]

Wow I never knew this existed and the fact that it is an ingredient into what we eat on a regular basis is mind-blowing!!! Fascinating information!!

[@adnanbezerra6014]

there's a bunch in Mrs. Inés's way of talking of her insects that the English translation just isn't capable of showing. she truly loves her bugs, that's really amazing

[@MagklJellyBeanPastelLucidDream]

Thank you for that bit of missed information.

[@poppy-spades]

Same for the "nopaloteca" which yes would be "nopal library" but as a clever portmanteau

[@dynastygal]

Loves her bugs? She literally kills them for no good reason!

[@johnjingleheimersmith9259]

@@dynastygal she waits till they die naturally you dolt.

[@kinggenderman1874]

@@dynastygal 😐

[@dinoflagella4185]

I always knew red dye came from bugs, but not a specific bug. This was interesting to watch. Also, when I was younger I used to separate M&Ms into individual containers according to color. I noticed that the red M&Ms were always the smallest amount. That’s what caught my interest into why red M&Ms weren’t as many as the other colors. That’s when I found about the red food dye.

[@v3le]

Later on I found that blue comes from sea snails, brown from cockroaches etc. now I don't eat candy anymore!

[@Jennchannel24]

@@v3le your lying from roaches???!!!!

[@YangwanAuto]

@@v3le really brown from coach roach????

[@punker4Real]

you don't want to know were other natural flavors come from

[@aloejae6200]

@Not Expat Joe yummy bugs 🤤

[@wonkybee7612]

Honestly it just goes to show how resilient and inventive these people were/still are. Normal farmers: “oh no my crop is infested with parasites 😢” These farmers: “call an ambulance… but not for me 😏”

[@KC_312]

Wait until you hear about huitlacoche.

[@crunchyoats1862]

Catalina is such a beautiful woman! I loved hearing her talk, you could feel her passion and you know she loves what she is doing.

[@seerchie]

I can’t be more proud of this beautiful work and our Mexican cultural heritage. The museum in Oaxaca is called Nocheztlicalli

[@brostenen]

And the use of these will not fully die out. We have been eating red sausages for ages here in Denmark, and the tradition of red sausages goes all the way back to austria. Today we use these beetles, because erytrosin can cause allergy or even worse stuff in high dose. And we want out red sausages in a hotdog. So no. The use of these beetles will never die out, but you might need to travel to europe in the future, to see that cultural herritage in use. Also the uniform of the queens guard, have red fabric, were these beetles have been used. And if there is one thing, were tradition are being upheld. Then it is those uniforms. Queens guard uniforms, and red sausages... Be sure that the use of these bugs will never die out.

[@ameliatribeofissachar7311]

❤️

[@TrokaRC]

🙏

[@GreenCanvasInteriorscape]

What is the name of the language that the town is written in? It's actually one of the more pronounceable pre Spanish Mexican names that I've heard and it's fun to say

[@budlight2969]

so i always thought Oaxaca was pronounced óha zaca you mean the whole time oaxaca was wa haca? i used to say queso oax a queno not juahaca queno

[@user-ks5cg5cd7m]

This woman is a national treasure. Mexicans needs to pay her to continue teaching their country’s traditions. It is indeed a gift from their ancestors. Thank you for sharing it with us.

[@SRose-vp6ew]

She can start a KZbin channel or different form of education classes to sell.

[@pushista9322]

Such an amazing story! Thank you for this small excursion into this unique culture!

[@sipmeister3611]

i appreciate your work we need more people like you behind keeping the traditions alive.

[@naomikriss5208]

I got to grind cochineal and other traditional sources of colors (saffron, chalk, and malachite) and mix them with gum Arabic and then help my students illuminate texts they wrote and decorated themselves. It was awesome!! Shout out to The Morgan Museum and Library for the opportunity. And thank you to the women in Mexico keeping this beautiful tradition alive.

[@triptychlux]

sounds like a really nice experience. keep up the good work

[@beckyd712]

So sad that when we should be moving more towards natural products and using more Cochineals, not losing the few farms we have in the world!

[@hesh2892]

Adopt cochineal bugs 😮

[@cesrelawrence-towner9453]

This makes me sad, both for the loss of indigenous products. Yet also there are many people (my eldest included) with allergies to artificial reds.

[@rosannadesole9092]

Very interesting video. Finding out how the red color is extracted naturally from ladybirds... is truly wonderful. Extracting natural colors from plants for all types of industries would lead to lowering the pollution of many watercourses which then end up in the sea. A huge round of applause to these folks for their great work.😍👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏❤️

[@antoniomromo]

This is amazing from an environmental and resource perspective. These can be grown on a plant that takes almost no water or fertilizer to produce. They can be organically grown, they can be scaled up, and the remaining waste can be composted. This combined with raising other insects as protein sources for human food is pretty awesome.

[@mariatorres9789]

You eat the bugs, I'll eat steak.

[@antoniomromo]

@@mariatorres9789 both cows and crickets can be refined into their base protein. Once either is processed and combined with herbs and spices, neither you nor I would be able to tell the difference.

[@mariatorres9789]

@@antoniomromo Crickets contain parasites & several toxins to humans. You eat your nasty bugs, globalist propagandist. I'll eat real meat.

[@antoniomromo]

@@mariatorres9789 actually insects can be refined to identical base proteins as a cow. Such is a function of chemistry. That is simply a fact. You may not like it, but facts don't care how you feel.

[@mariatorres9789]

@@antoniomromo I aced Microbiology, Probability & Statistics, & Chemistry, at the same time in college, while working & raising two kids. Sell your bugs to idiots. I'll eat my real meat!

[@leokimvideo]

Nature always does the most awesome colours Overall a beautiful story, I’ll respect my Red M&M’s from now on

[@hoxiefam6731]

I don't think many brands use it anymore. It's all red 40 which is incredibly bad for people.

[@greengamerguy623]

Smarties, as M&M's unless UK variant use all artificial ingredients only Smarties would likely use this dye

[@lb8384]

@@greengamerguy623 wrong. This is used commonly in the industry. Especially in candides.

[@BruderSenf]

others aswell its E 120 natural dye

[@globe2555]

@leokimvideo Yes, and maybe you even will get a little protein as a bonus.

[@earth2ellie]

This was so informative! I love this channel.

[@sinnombre-xs9ub]

It’s the beautiful red dye in old Navajo weaving. Fascinating, thanks!

[@Nightcrawler333]

"Cockroaches are ugly" - couldn't agree more..

[@riven5677]

Indeed

[@masterxyr]

racist :p

[@u3k1m6]

Wow, you agreed with a popular sentiment among every single person on earth, so cool

[@micahbass1121]

@@u3k1m6 all they were saying is that they agree tf?

[@AboBrett-dw8xn]

There are very beautiful Roach species too, but not many people know them

[@justsomelochnessmonsterony8265]

Dammit, this one made me feel pretty bad. I mean I always feel bad for the people who have to work these grueling jobs, especially because they get paid like crap in comparison to the brands that sell their product. It’s probably because I’m also Mexican so it hits a little close to home, buts it’s just sad hearing about their love for the insect as the business is dying down.

[@Ninkira]

Very this. I was delighted to hear their passion and knowledge for the practice and the bugs but so disappointed to hear how much they were being undersold.

[@roboutland]

Forget these thugs. They harm beings for money and power. They are the abusers, nothing to feel bad about here. They are thugs, to hell with them all.

[@angelinimartini]

Yeah when you are indigenous Mexican, it seems like the traditions and the people get taken advantage of the most. It annoys the heck out of me to see indigenous trades taken for granted.

[@carrieandretti]

Incredible to learn about another type of farming. Amazing info! Thx!!😮

[@joshyoung1440]

CATALINA IS SO ADORABLE, SOMEBODY GO MAKE HER SOME MORE OF THOSE LITTLE FINGER TRAP HOUSES, SHE NEEDS THEM

[@mlbaldwin1978]

such an ancient process. im glad you have documented this process for posterity!

[@MrOdrzut]

Fun fact - similar (but slightly less efficient to farm) insect was farmed in Central Europe in middle ages and was the reason for red color in Polish flag, for the word for red "czerwony" from worm "czerw" and also for the name of the month june (czerwiec) when these bugs were gathered. They were hugely important until the import from Mexico disrupted that industry in Europe.

[@l3ftie578]

that moment when outsourcing / offshoring destroyed domestic business even then lmfao. Reminds me of the story of 2 monks smuggling silkworms out of china to ends its monopoly on silk.

[@roiad876]

​@@l3ftie578can it really be called off shoring since it's been done for thousands of years? Plus they were more efficient and produce stronger colour, seems like a case of good economics

[@CharlieTrahan456]

Import from Mexico? You mean theft from Mexico by Cortez & all the other European thieves that enrich the impoverished European continent from the theft of the American continent.

[@user-eh2hj8bx6i]

Education is key. I was grossed out initially but it's pretty cool learning about this special field. Sounds better than petroleum based good dyes!

[@Lamefoureyes]

Catalina is such a sweetheart, I hope success and stability are in her near future.

[@eyeonit469]

Old Red Velvet cake recipes used cochineal as the colorant. I still have a bottle of it from my mothers kitchen and use her recipe along with the cooked icing and the result is pure bliss.

[@shadowcween7890]

Semi related, but did you know that red velvet cake is often red without dyes because of the way the the undutched cocoa oxidises with the air and can be red without any extra dyes. Though, I can't say if it was oxidisation or some thing else.

[@shadowcween7890]

@@notexpatjoe The processed kind is called "Dutched Cocoa" if I remember correctly

[@lvcanvs4433]

I use wine in my red velvet cake

[@estebancorral5151]

Well, you should also know that cacao another ingredient in red velvet cake is originally from Mexico.

[@estebancorral5151]

@Not Expat Joe wrong. It is because the cocoa been has to be fermented properly because they want to sell as many kilos as fast as possible.

[@CleopatraPhilopator]

Omg, even her way of talking is really lovely! We Mexicans tend to use some words in diminutive, but she’s so cute! For example, at 5:19 she said “cuerpecito”, which in the subtitles was translated as “body” but she actually said “little body” in an affectionate way 😊

[@craigstephenson9978]

watching elderly with such work ethic is something that is extremely admirable.

[@tetianakolpak1310]

Deep respect to the sweet hard working lady. The food industry should be transparent and instead of carmine write In the ingredient list crashed bugs. And then we will see how many people would want to purchase those products.

[@deborah3250]

when I was younger I used to think it was gross that beetles were used for red color. now that I've seen this, I think it's awesome! these women are wonderful and the process isn't gross at all. chemical dyes are the disgusting ones!!! ❤️🐞❤️

[@jesusislord461]

It's a lie. They use petrol byproduct to make red #40 not bugs.

[@keghoarder2975]

@@jesusislord461 theyre not talking about red 40

[@plantedlife]

Yeah, compared to petroleum and coal-mine byproducts, I do kinda prefer bugs.

[@Napsteraspx]

For real tho. Bug juice is still healthier than "red no 40"

[@AliensKillDevils.]

Enjoy sunshine and please be vegan, no animal’s eggs, animal’s milk, animal’s cheese, animal’s butter, and insect’s honey. Return to the original owner 1 by 1: return every animal and insect 1 by 1, every bite of meat, every drop of blood, every drop of soup, every bone, every bone marrow, and every skin. I’m sorry. Thank you.🥬🥗🌽🥕🥦🥥🥑🍓🍇🍌🍎🍐🍑🥭🍅🥒🍉❤️🌞🌈👼❤️🏖☺️.

[@Sentientmatter8]

This bug was also farmed by Poles since ancient times till the 16th century when imports by Colonial powers put the industry in Poland out of business. The Polish Carmine feeds on woody flowers instead of cactuses. It's why red is such an important color to national identity, is on the flag and in a lot of folk outfits. This was fascinating to watch - I appreciate this source of dye, it is far less toxic than red dye 40, and creates a beautiful red color!

[@tesheilakhan8820]

My daughter is allergic to either this or Red dye 40. She gets very sick when she eats some red things. It’s hard to pinpoint

[@mikesmith9972]

❤️POLAND❤️

[@decemberinthesummer]

@Tesheila Khan maybe a psychological thing

[@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059]

No. Polish and Armenian cochineals are not the same species as the Latin American cochineals (look them up) Polish and Armenian cochineals make crimson red, not carmine red. One of the two actually lives in shrubs etc and the other you have to dig from the ground, like ants, I do not remember which. I live in the Mojave desert and my cactus (just in my yard) are plagued by cochineals every year so look it up before you start typing.

[@Scott-jf1nh]

Kermes is what you are talking about. It was important but not nearly as good as the cochineal.

[@sinlokemp]

This is so cool. we always take colors for granted but every color has a unique story of origin and creation.

[@anasbentahar3344]

We are currently experiencing an invasion of cochineal insects in Morocco. They have nearly decimated our cactus population, yet there is no discussion about harnessing this situation for potential harvesting of those insects. In my country, we primarily cultivate cacti for their fruits.

[@keriovalleycreatives1214]

Need the cochineal bugs to eradicate cacti in my farm, wheel cacti is a ravaging weed to us. They say one man's poison is anothers treasure

[@the7311]

Bro this red dye is so much better than the petroleum based red dyes.

[@bigsmall246]

The whole activism thing was probably funded by oil companies. The same companies that keep funding misinformation that climate change is fake, is not caused by humans, or cannot be stopped.

[@the7311]

@@bigsmall246 yea I wouldn’t be surprised. On other hand these vegans are fucken wild

[@marieso2293]

Depends on your perspective. Some people I know are deathly allergic to carmine dye because it is natural. Kinda like how some people are allergic to bee stings. Because it is from an insect. So, they can only handle non-insect dyes in their food. As a natural alternative to artificial dyes, some food like ube (purple yam) are less likely to cause allergies. Though maybe we can just not put food coloring in our food to be more natural altogether unless for traditional reasons.

[@naconaco1]

@@marieso2293 well just check the ingredient list

[@marieso2293]

@@naconaco1 well there are issues for that. For one thing, carmine has many names. So, people allergic to carmine constantly need to google them or have them handy around which is mostly just an inconvenience. The real danger is for things that don’t have ingredients list like cakes and pastries that use carmine whether as food coloring or an ingredient used in their food just happened to have carmine without them knowing. Smoked salmon for example sometimes has carmine in it. However, when u buy a smoked sandwich sandwich from a sandwich shop for example, it’s not like they will give you their ingredient’s list. And you don’t expect the sandwich to have carmine either if u don’t often eat smoked salmon at home so you don’t tend to ask. Some companies can also be secretive about their recipes and won’t give their ingredients so freely that they make you wait weeks before they can confirm or deny the presence of carmine in their food.

[@sophroniel]

as an artist, textiles & fibre arts enthusiast and make-up lover, it is heartbreaking to see one if the most brilliant naturally created colours go this way. They are animals, sure, but they don't have a brain or central nervous system so don't even feel pain. Vegans need to leave well enough alone and let people continue as their ancestors did, farming and harvesting and using this precious dye that looks so red like it's the heart of all the world's colours... don't let this bleed out and be gone forever! It is far too precious!!

[@estebancorral5151]

I would like to turn on your light bulb to ixtle which is any textile from agave fiber. The fiber of henequen comes to mind. I hope I can get your creative juices going

[@marvinschneider7981]

Catalina's voice is soothing and silky. A lovely lady with her crimson hue producing bug library!

[@surendersingal2192]

Awesome high value video on bug. A bug which gives fantastic color for eyes n brightons the world. Mexican Govt must not let this business die rather provide financial support to Catalina n Claudia n many others to preserve culture n color of such elegance. Thank you maam❤

[@miroh8]

This is really interesting, because as a houseplant collector, I'm always worried about finding these particular bugs on my plants since they are very common pests. It's cool to see them being used in this way, and very interesting that to some people these bugs are treasured, while my community absolutely hates them lol

[@Septemberwitch24]

You have free dye!

[@AliensKillDevils.]

Enjoy sunshine and please be vegan, no animal’s eggs, animal’s milk, animal’s cheese, animal’s butter, and insect’s honey. Return to the original owner 1 by 1: return every animal and insect 1 by 1, every bite of meat, every drop of blood, every drop of soup, every bone, every bone marrow, and every skin. I’m sorry. Thank you.🥬🥗🌽🥕🥦🥥🥑🍓🍇🍌🍎🍐🍑🥭🍅🥒🍉❤️🌞🌈👼❤️🏖☺️.

[@miroh8]

@@AliensKillDevils. No. I have ARFID, I eat what I can.

[@leinonibishop9480]

These specific bugs only live on specific cacti in specific areas of Central America. Why would they be on your houseplants?

[@miroh8]

@@leinonibishop9480 I meant scale insects in general, didn't know these were any different to the ones you'd typically find on houseplants

[@janetrojas8939]

I love how lovely and nicely they speak about their production, You can tell they have a lot of love and respect for their products

[@kambatracy199]

We need them

[@erinpowell941]

Too bad that most governments don't recognize that investing in women and female run businesses, is investing in the entire community. Unlike mainly male-run companies that focus on profit, female run businesses focus largely on education and sharing with their community. You see this across the world. The knowledge, hard work and community spirit of these women is admirable!

[@Norinia]

My mom started freaking out about bugs in kinder egg making (not positive what it’s about) I’m gonna hide this video from her feed. She’s willing to eat worms, yet she freaks about insects in the creation of her 1st world comforts. It’s absolutely ridiculous. I hope these farmers win their fight, there isn’t any freaking decent reason why they should be forced to shut down their generational farms over uneducated mass crying over nothing.

[@hammerr3]

That lady is adorable, protect her livelihood

[@symnatic]

Serial Killer is more precise

[@Putumn]

@@symnatic Bro calling an old woman a Serial Killer cause she keeping and old tradition the bugs are invasive anyways its not like they are a dying species

[@symnatic]

@@Putumn why are the Bugs the problem? I Just See this old bit*h destroying the cacti and murdering all the bugs on it.

[@forgetfuldullahan5468]

@@symnatic hey buddy, without googling, tell me how long those bugs live.

[@smartduck904]

Me and my wife in Mexico would love to start this again we just need the land and we'll start growing it

[@sergioradajr2616]

Mamá is so adorable with her knowledge of cochineal and how hard she works

[@n1msu]

I sincerely hope this practice doesn't become outlawed. It's fine to eat frogs and insects, but not to make dye from these little bugs. I'm sure the same animal rights activists don't realise that yeast for example is a living organism, used and discarded when finished with. The one thing I do like though is that the bugs who have been crushed have become immortalised depending on what the dye is used for.

[@evanfrucht]

Yeast is a fungus, not an animal. BTW

[@sunshine3914]

Propaganda. No one’s protecting these bugs. There’s a demand for food grade red dye that a third of the gringo population isn’t allergic to, & a big corporation is going to capitalize on it - that’s the nature of the US.

[@gourav4672]

@@evanfrucht fungus are not living organisms?

[@almendroverde]

@@gourav4672 Not sentient.

[@jeff_alexpalaypay473]

Must be nice to pick and choose.

[@Pedro-ny8zt]

Orgullo mexicano. Hay que preservar la cultura tan hermosa de Mexico lindo y hermosos

[@user-hb8lx7sw1d]

Beautiful! What wonderful women that keep this tradition alive.

[@howiewill]

Very interesting.. glad that some are preserving the tradition. Although my head started itching while watching some of it. 😂

[@kw9158]

As a vegetarian, I fully support the use of this dye, instead of fossil-fuel synthetics. It's natural, and the use of these bugs (who are either dead already when they harvest them, or close to death, as their lifespans are typically 2 months) does not conflict at all with being a vegetarian from my perspective.

[@Michael-yf9ew]

They specifically raise them for the dye. There is no ethical consumption dear. Zerooooooo.

[@loststarwarrior]

@@Michael-yf9ew What's unethical about it?

[@Michael-yf9ew]

@@loststarwarrior there is no ethical consumption. All consumption is at the expense of someone, somewhere. This is a 35 billion dollar industry, apparently, and the people harvesting seem incredibly poor. How is that ethical?

[@KooblyK]

​@@Michael-yf9ew You must not eat anything then.

[@Michael-yf9ew]

@@KooblyK y'all old people really don't know what that term means whatsoever. Please stop responding until you do your homework.

[@jasonac]

They tried to produce this in Australia back many decades ago. It failed, but the introduced prickly pear became a huge weed problem, so they got a cactus moth to get rid of the prickly pear. Its happy days for the moth!

[@notmyworld44]

On the other hand, the Prickly Pear cactus is a prolific edible plant! Why not harvest and feed them to people instead of moths?

[@zoeherriot]

@@notmyworld44 They do. Twenty years ago I worked as a chef for a while and we used to serve prickly pear in a number of ways, including sorbet. But it is a royal pain in the arse to prepare.

[@notmyworld44]

@@zoeherriot Both the fruit and the pads are edible and highly nutritious. Both need to be singed with a torch flame to render them safe to handle. I say eat them into extinction down unda! I enjoyed your comment! 😊👍

[@zoeherriot]

@@notmyworld44 Hah hah. Before I left Australia I actually saw they were selling them in Woolworths on occasion. One night I had to pull some prickly pear thorns out of my ex-wifes fingers. Poor thing - she really didn't know what she was getting into with those. :)

[@notmyworld44]

@@zoeherriot Those very small stickers that grow in little tufts on the prickly pear cactus are called "glochids" (pronounced "glockids"), and they do cause severe discomfort. Best way to destroy them is singeing with a blue flame. Woolworth's??? We once had a chain of stores all over America called "Woolworth's", but they weren't food stores. They went out of existence here many decades ago. Pity, too, because Groucho Marx had this great line in one of his movies - "Another wisecrack like that'll get ya ten years at Levenworth [a notorious American prison], 'leven years at Tenworth, or Five-and-ten at Woolworth." Our Woolworth stores were euphemistically categorized as "five & ten-cent" stores, or just "5&10s". That was back in olden times when you could buy something nice for a nickel or a dime. I hope I haven't bored you.

[@choimdachoim9491]

These Nopales are a food staple in Mexico and places south of there. They are eaten at every meal in one form or another in many homes, even in the U.S.A. Many people have them growing in their yards and harvest as needed year-round.

[@jcescolastico5299]

I am really amazed never known a bug with an amazing red dye that produce amazing things like cosmetics and an added value to food such as on confectioneries and artisans.

[@gracelynwow]

I remember when one of my friend's found out that all her makeup had "bugs" in it. It was because of this. She began protesting the use of these because it's "inhumane" and "cruel". Looking online there are a lot of vegans and such who think the same. But really, it's honestly so sad how people living in a high society (the ones purchasing $50 makeup products purely for cosmetic value) will get so worked up over BUGS. So what? There are ten thousand other problems in the world and killing bugs for a red dye is supposedly an issue? Disappointing. I wish the best of luck to all these families putting in so much important work.

[@Cier433]

The worst thing is that the process to obtain the synthetic dyes is probably more polluting and that is a real problem, not the supposed suffering of insects with their simple nervous system.

[@boxcat1755]

They don't know how many animals be are killed when farming either since they are competition and product eaters. Rodents, rabbits, deers, bugs, birds, etc.

[@haruyanto8085]

Its not about the problems, its about their feelings, they want to do that to make themselves feel better

[@marih3286]

Karma will deal with these women who prefer synthetic products over naturally occurring products derived from the same components as the human body.

[@Am-mm6iz]

People want to protest over bugs but not baby humans so sickening

[@jeremyedwardmora7784]

I grew up riding my bike in a cactus ranch here in California. The company that farmed the cactus raised mostly for the prickly pears and the edible pads (nopales). Seeing this documentary about the cochineal really put a different perspective because unlike their goal of raising the bugs, we were busy trying to figure out how to defeat them. In the end I feel so sad. In 2019 the company here in California completely dismantled the cactus farm due to rising costs of production. It looks like in Mexico it’s about the same but different circumstances. Makes me sad.

[@joeljong931]

The wild ranch version will survive in Peru and the Canary Islands simply more economical.

[@fleaniswerkhardt4647]

We have prickly pair here as well . Ever get your shirt stained by the juice of the purple fruits? I wonder if that is used as a natural dye too.

[@luceinbattaglia9425]

Very very very interesting 👏🔝 Thanks for sharing🙏 Senora Catalina y Carmona muy muy muy amable, maravillosas!💚🇲🇽Que viva Mexico

[@ac6418]

People need to understand there's a line between cultural value and environmental protection. We can absolutely have both so long the people that maintain this ancient traditions respect the animals that are involved. Sra. Catalina clearly respects cochineals and protects them. If these traditions die, it makes people forget the value of these little animals.

[@TheWontonsoup]

“And now I look like a nopal..” she cracked herself up with that one 😂

[@mintman325]

Synthetic red dye called Red 40 here has always given me a headache. It’s people like the women featured here why I was able to eat red things. Thank you

[@xavierd3298]

Big government wants the peasants to keep eating fake garbage food but natural food is somehow always a problem

[@shadowcween7890]

I still don't see why there needs to be either kind of dye. Why not just have things without dye?

[@shadowcween7890]

@@notexpatjoe Yeah

[@MrClamLawyer]

as an animal rights activist, I think we should use harsh chemicals instead of bugs. I have never stepped on a bug in my whole life btw

[@grimpmann4068]

nobody cares

[@BloodwyrmWildheart]

Better idea: Stop dyeing food.

[@hidenshinobi]

I’ve had nopales in my yard since I was a kid and I would see this white fuzzy stuff on some of the plants. They are indeed little bugs and I remember a vibrant red color when they were squished. I didn’t know this was becoming a lost tradition.

[@jesuschristiscallingyou953]

I've been stung by those little, almost invisible cactus needles. It's like a fiberglass sting...a different kind of pain. 😫

[@orgesm2134]

it pains me too much to see such form of ancient business go out , i hope they do well

[@Karincl7]

Ofcourse but you ll never work their

[@nocheztlicalli]

We appreciate your comment, and little by little it is disappearing, we only keep the breeding foot alive and spread the knowledge. please share our fundraising campaign called nocheztlicalli.

[@frozzytango9927]

Becoz of white people cant stand seeing brown people prosper. They have to keep people believing that these people are backward.

[@LoserOnlyClub]

Its still Mexico's second biggest export, its only disappearing from some areas like Oaxaca. A $35 Billion Industry won't disappear quickly.

[@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059]

The trade/farms will come back when vegans are getting cancer from thier petroleum based dyes....

[@RepentantSinner86]

Thanks Mexico for all you've given to the world! 😊

[@rosswilliams2303]

Wow❤what a sweet woman. Catalina God bless you. You are a true gem of a person.

[@Marvee78]

This should most definitely not die in its homeland. Even consistent small scale production in multiple places should be encouraged so the know-how doesn't die out. And big agro firms like Monsanto and others should be kept away as if they were the plague.

[@anyascelticcreations]

Wow. I remember seeing dusty looking white spots on prickly pear cacti in Texas. I had no idea what they were. And no idea that I ate and wore their guts. That Burts Bees lip balm that they showed was my favorite for years. I hope at least some of these farmers can keep their farms with their bunny cactus and little white bugs.

[@kristopherwatkins45]

AnyasCelticCreations AtEtsy Hello! How are you doing? Hope all is well with you and your family? Wishing you good health and lots of happiness

[@realstatistician]

I think I’ve watched this video three times. It’s well made and so interesting. I wonder if there are any cold-hardy cochineal relatives that grow in temperate zones, since the opuntia cactuses they feed on can grow as far north as Canada.

[@CannibalisticKiwi]

I love seeing the other side of things, ya know? Like- I went to extraordinary lengths to eliminate the mealy bugs that were eating my house plant collection- but these women are growing the cousins of those bugs in specialized greenhouses 🥺💕 Everything is loved by someone

[@MikeH-sg2ue]

Very interesting! I’ve been using cochineal, since the sixties! I knew where it came from, & what it was. Now I know how it is raised, harvested, & prepared! Thanks for sharing!

[@jjrpoektl1925]

For dye?

[@yopekok5448]

What do you use them for?

[@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059]

Yeah, me too. History nerd as well. Cinnabar makes red dye too.