At Waykana, we are proud of the economic and social impact we are having on local communities with this Green Power Sheet because: As Guyuasa grows in popularity in Europe, one important question comes to the fore: does everyone involved benefit from this development?
We don't have to explain here what can happen when Europeans discover an economic good that is mainly cultivated and used by small peoples in the depths of the jungle. History is full of examples that show that exporting goods does not only create winners. We therefore ask ourselves this question with every business decision:
Can we make it so nobody loses?
We will only implement this decision if we can answer this question with yes. We don't call ourselves Waykana for nothing - the Kichwa word for "bringing people to work together".
Our philosophy is based on three central pillars: social sustainability, economic sustainability and ecological sustainability.
1. Social sustainability
Our Guayusa is grown by over 150 smallholder families from the Kichwas tribe. The cultivation and harvesting takes place under the personal responsibility of these families. Once the ripe leaves have been harvested, we send vans to these families, some of which are very remote, and collect the harvest from there. We have committed ourselves in advance to buying every harvest in order to give the farmers economic security and predictability. The price we pay for the leaves is 15% above what the fair trade standard dictates. We received an award from the UN 2018 in Geneva for our social commitment.
2. Economic sustainability
Tea usually passes through many hands. Many hands also means many interested parties. This sometimes leads to a sharp increase in the price of a product without benefiting the local producers.
Therefore, we have decided to sell the Waykana brand and thus our Guayusa directly to customers with the help of exclusive partnerships.
In this way we retain control over the entire supply and value chain and at the same time reduce the number of economic participants many times over. In addition, advertising and logistics costs can be bundled and greatly reduced. You and the farmers share this price advantage.
3. Environmental sustainability
Guauysa is unique in many respects, but especially in an ecological one: this energy tea almost forces its farmers to be sustainable. Its green leaves only remain healthy as long as they are adequately shaded. Due to its size (up to 2 meters high), this shade can only be provided by other, even larger plants of the jungle. This is how the so-called chakras, forest gardens in the form of mixed cultures in the Amazon, develop. Banana plants, which in turn produce economic goods themselves, are popular sources of shade.
The leaves of the Guayusa shrub can be harvested all year round for over 100 years. The plant cuts deep soil into the jungle, which strengthens it and protects it from erosion, especially in rainy seasons.
