Watch how past Runa Volunteer, Andrew Given, is incorporating his love for guayusa with his passion for music. We have never heard a didgeridoo sound quite so beautiful.
For more information on Andrew’s instruments, contact him at andrewgiven@gmail.com. Viva Guayusa!
In celebration of International Women’s Day, Runa is proud to highlight the work of Teresa Shihuango. Runa was first introduced to Teresa when she became the host mother to one of our stellar volunteers.
Teresa lives with her husband and seven children in a kichwa village in the Napo Province of Ecuador. To help provide for her family, she works as a cook for a kindergarten in the town of Archidona as well as cultivates her own fruits, vegetables and guayusa to supplement her family’s meals. Caring for seven children and holding a part time job would be more than enough to keep most women and men busy, but Teresa defies the norm and pushes to make an even greater impact in her community. She is an active member of the Women’s Association and president of the Community Bank in her village. The Women’s Association and Community Bank work diligently to raise and sell chickens within their community to accumulate funds for the bank to create a system for savings and loans. Teresa’s passion for the well being of her community also extends into her “down” time when she takes nutrition classes to teach the other women in the Association about healthy choices and sanitation.
Teresa may only recognize the change she sees within her own community, but her impact reaches far wider then she can imagine. The Runa team is motivated by her work ethic and inspired by her vision.
Hello and happy belated New Year from the Runa team in Ecuador! First, we would like to say a HUGE thank you to all of our supporters worldwide for an incredible 2011. We look forward to building off our success in 2012. This year we plan to double the number of farmers we purchase guayusa from, quadruple the average daily harvest, create an innovative Technical Workshop School for farmers, and delve into the guayusa investigations with full force. This will allow us to have a greater impact in our partner communities and continue to supply sustainable guayusa to all of our Runatics.
This year we have already:
- Purchased 17,118.56 pounds of guayusa.
- Paid $5,991.50 to farmers in supplemental income.
It was mid-afternoon after a brief rainstorm in the Amazon. The plated windows in the office rattled (they have a tendency to rattle – loudly! – when large trucks or pickups drive by) and the chickens clucked outside the door. Ten farmer representatives gathered outside the office, ready to pour in and settle around the large conference table. Spirits were high.
This is the monthly PEB (Producer Executive Body) meeting at the Runa office in Archidona, Ecuador. While I was in Ecuador for part of December, I had the chance to sit in on the meeting. Exposure to this end of the guayusa supply chain was incredible and made clear the depth to which Runa incorporates farmer involvement.
There are nearly 1000 farmers who sell their native guayusa leaves to Runa. These 1000 farmers are divided into communities that elect a representative to attend a monthly meeting at the Runa office. Here, farmers share challenges and strengths and coordinate with the Runa team. Though I was on the outskirts of the meeting, I had the pleasure of meeting a number of particularly colorful characters.
Edgar (pictured first below) is modest and calm, he is the elected president of the body. He diligently took notes and made opening remarks on behalf of the entire farming community.
Franklin (center) is a firecracker. He took a shining to my sales role in the United States and urged me to “Sell more! Tell customers in the United States what they are missing!”
Euginia (to the right) was the only female representative. We talked to each other after the meeting and she shared with me her perspectives on being a woman, in a representative body made up of otherwise all men. She said that in the communities she represents, she was empowering the female voice. The best farmers were women, she reflected. Her mantra: Those with the responsibilities know how to manage responsibility.
She spoke from experience. Euginia has a diversified plot of land. She also harvests cocoa, maize, and yucca like Edgar and Franklin. With a family of five children, she manages the care of her children along with confidently taking on this added community responsibility. She shared with me that she is interested in having a company some day and developing the profitability of her land.
This is where Runa begins: with a group of 10 farmers sitting around a table drinking guayusa, all of them balancing the demands of various responsibilities and livelihoods. I walked away, feeling as if Eugenia had rubbed off on me. Her aspirations were contagious.
Post written by Caroline Turnbull, Runa Sales Manager
I was typing away in Runa’s office in Archidona, Ecuador early one morning when Ernesto popped in, cheery, looking for a cup of hot guayusa.
Ernesto Huatatoca is the recipient of a scholarship made possible by Fundación Runa, Runa’s Ecuadorian non-profit partner. The scholarship enables Ernesto to study Business in Quito at Escuela Politécnica del Ejercito. Ernesto lives in Archidona, the small town in the Amazon where Runa is headquartered.
I am Caroline — I have been Runa’s Sales and Operations Manager in the US for just over a year. This December I spent 10 days getting to know our farmers, employees and volunteers at Runa’s headquarters in Ecuador. Visiting was an incredible opportunity. It solidified my understanding of the entire supply chain of our product, and I was particularly rewarded by the interactions I had with Runa employees and volunteers.
Ernesto’s focus is on Sales and Marketing at ESPE . He was keen to seek me out and pick my brain during my visit. He wanted to learn more about sales channels in the the US along with our US distribution strategy. What was most fascinating about our conversation was that while we were from completely different backgrounds (my understanding of the Spanish language is modest), we were able to discuss a shared interest in global food supply topics and how to develop, and scale, social enterprises. Within minutes we found ourselves talking about the authenticity of social missions.
The popularization of corporate social responsibility, and the consumer demand for transparent and ethical supply chains, has meant that many companies are forced to adopt missions retroactively that may not be at the root of their identity. Ernesto grew up in a Kichwa community and has seen the economic landscape of the region shift. He applauded Runa’s commitment to building strong relationships with indigenous communities and weaving them into the business model from the beginning. Something you don’t always see.
Ernesto volunteers his time by helping translate from Kichwa to Spanish for Runa. Runa has worked alongside communities like his to develop a model to export guayusa, while embracing the social institutions that already exist in the area.
To the left is a photo of me and Ernesto, taken that morning. I’m wearing a string of guayusa (shown below). When farmers collect guayusa for personal consumption, or to sell locally, they string the leaves together into a lovely and delicate leaf chain called sartas. These chains can be found in the homes and markets all over Archidona and Tena.
Runa is very excited to be highlighted in Richard Branson’s new book “Screw Business as Usual.”Branson’s eye (and ear) for success is apparent in the Virgin Records empire he built. Now, true to his entrepreneurial spirit, Branson explores a new approach to business by shifting the attention away from profit and focusing on how business can provide social good for people and the planet simultaneously. Runa is honored to be included in “Screw Business as Usual” alongside companies we admire such as VeeV and TOMS. To win a free copy of Branson’s insightful book head over to our Facebook page or purchase a copy here.
While those that know Runa in the states know us for guayusa, in Ecuador, Runa is actively involved in other projects outside of guayusa production. Fundación Runa, the Ecuadorian counterpart of our for profit, Runa LLC, works on a number of different initiatives to help local farmers and community members. These initiatives include conducting agricultural economic research to determine fair market prices for purchasing guayusa, and working in the Colonso Forest zone to protect the land while simultaneously helping farmers supplement their income.
Another effort is focused in supporting community development. As part of our ongoing Fair Trade certification, an executive board of farmers from the communities we work with has been assembled to oversee guayusa production and work on developing the Social Premium Fund. The Social Premium Fund, an integral part of our Fair Trade certification, dictates that 15% of Runa’s profit goes directly back to the farmers for use within their communities. The executive board that has been gathered is in charge of distributing these funds to benefit the communities.
In order to investigate where the funds could have the greatest impact, we have developed a Needs Assessment survey that covers multiple topics, from nutrition and health to finances and education. Each week Runa interns go out to communities and interview available individuals who help us form a picture of their communities and their most acute needs. Developed by interns Aliana Piñeiro and Jennifer Ferguson this past summer, the Needs Assessment surveys are meant to be purely informative, and not instructional, for communities. Through the surveys we hope to provide some quantitative information to help community leaders decide how to allocate the additional income their communities now have access to. Are there certain areas that multiple communities identify as particularly in need of support? Are certain problems isolated to certain areas or districts within the Napo region? As we continue our interviews we look forward to gathering more data and working with communities to ensure that the Social Premium Fund is as effective as possible.
Although cultivated for thousands of years by the Kichwa people of Amazonian Ecuador, very few scientific papers have been written about Ilex guayusa unknown to most outside of Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador, and even fewer—zero, to be precise—have been published relative to planting and agroforestry designs featuring guayusa.
Here at Runa we are excited by the opportunity to perform groundbreaking research in a field (both literally and figuratively) that energizes us. We just planted our first experimental plot of 150 guayusa plants on a quarter hectare (half acre) piece of land interpopulated with bananas, yuca, guava, mandarin, and an assortment of other tropical plants next to the Runa factory in Archidona. Through this research we hope to find methods of optimizing guayusa production, to understand its ecological relationship with other plants, and to further general scientific knowledge about the plant.
Because little research has been performed on guayusa cultivation, we’ve started our search for enlightenment with the people that know guayusa best: Kichwa farmers and communities. Having grown guayusa on family tree plots for thousands of years, the Kichwa have lifetimes of practical experience with guayusa and are a valuable partner in our mission.
We began setup of the experimental plot by clearing the undergrowth surrounding the other trees on the plot—smaller plants and weeds that could disrupt growth of the new saplings. We allotted four meters between each plant to allow for sufficient spreading space, and placed each plant in a hole 6-8 inches deep. The soil around each sapling was packed slightly to allow for root contact with the ground and better nutrient uptake. In addition, we took baseline measurements and observations of every plant and created a GPS outline of the land to provide us with an exact digital representation of the plot.
Every month measurements will be taken to track growth and progress, and over time more experimental plots will be created to allow for research a variety of growing conditions. We’re looking forward to the developments over at the farm and to the additional experimental plots to test out new variables.
Goyoung is a project launched by three belgian students who decided to travel the world to shoot a documentary on social entrepreneurs under 30. Runa was fortunate to be included in their 9 month travels highlighting social entrepreneurs who are making a difference in their countries and abroad. Check out our video below and follow Goyoung as they highlight socially responsible companies across the globe.
I officially ended my seven day guayusa challenge last Wednesday. But…. It’s Monday morning, and I still have a hot cup of spice guayusa on my desk (and no coffee)! I can barely believe it! First, I can’t believe I made it a week without coffee while remaining fairly functional. Second, I can’t believe I didn’t run back to my grinder and french press like an addict at the first opportunity!
In reflecting on the challenge, I guess I have to admit that my coffee habit was getting a *bit* out of control. When you go from one big mug, to two big mugs, to then maybe a little more in the afternoon, it’s an important moment to take pause and reflect. I won’t go so far as to call guayusa a miracle, but it did really help me take a break from coffee (without going bezerk!). At first, I drank two strong cups to get me started in the morning, but now I find that one cup is totally adequate to open my eyes up. It’s totally helped me curb my habit to healthier proportions. Plus, I just don’t get that same jittery, jacked-up feeling.
As someone who went into this challenge fairly skeptical, I’m actually truly surprised at the result. I mean, come on, I practically live in hippie heaven, and I’ve become somewhat immune to buzzing about the “miracle beverage of the month.” From kombucha to coconut water to aloe juice, I’m accustomed to hearing about some new beverage that will make your hair shiny, cure all ailments, and even make your mom less crazy (okay–never saw that last one on a package, but I swear I heard overheard it in a Whole Foods). But, I’ve got to give it up–guayusa is actually pretty great, and definitely something I’ll keep in my mix!
It’s totally helped me curb my habit to healthier proportions. Plus, I just don’t get that same jittery, jacked-up feeling.
