Guayusa: organic trade, fair trade
To speak about guayusa, is not only to speak about one of the native plants from the Ecuadorean Amazon Areas, but also about production, partnership, integration, trade, and a new source of income for more than 2,000 kichwa farmers
"People do not see the guayusa as the small tree from which they had breakfast in the mornings anymore, but as a business option, a source of income for the family" says Juan Pablo Chiriboga, General Coordinator of RUNA, which is an organization dedicated to facilitating sustainable development and preserving the cultural heritage of the indigenous communities through the sowing, cultivation, and sale of guayusa.
During three years, more than 170 communities have joined the project, which has enabled them to obtain training in technical and quality assistance for cultivation through sustainable agricultural forestation systems, thus avoiding single-crop farming.
For Elias Alvarado, responsible for the field area, the project's objective is to make theguayusathe main cultivar for farmers due to the product's high demand, thus bringing a better quality of life for the communities.
The guayusa has captivated the US and Canadian markets to a point where for this year, the projected demand exceeds 20 thousand pounds per month, undoubtedly benefitting the producers, who have a contract guaranteeing the purchase of 100% of the produced leaf.
The next objective, in addition to continue growing in the US market, will be to introduce the consumption in Ecuador, through the final product packed in tea bags.
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