Way too much coffee.
But if it weren’t for the coffee,
I’d have no identifiable personality whatsoever.
-David Letterman
What do you know about yerba mate?
I am woefully unschooled, myself. Apparently, it’s a traditional tea-like leaf that’s native to the South American rainforest: strong like coffee with the health benefits of green tea and the euphoria of chocolate. (Coffee, remember, has a lot of issues going on with it, and when you buy you should ideally be looking for organic, shadegrown, fair trade, bird-friendly certified; not the easiest task in the world).
Guayaki is a sustainable yerba mate company on a mission to restore the endangered South American Atlantic Rainforest and create living-wage jobs for indigenous farmers. Continued demand for the yerba mate means the continued existence of the rainforest, where farmers grow and harvest Guayaki in its natural habitat. Guayaki’s stated mission is to steward and restore 200,000 acres of forest and create 1000 living wage jobs.
Check out your own potentially positive impact with Guayaki’s app, which reveals the number of trees, square footage & ecosystem service dollars you would personally protect each year just by drinking Guayaki.
The company is up for the BBC World Challenge, one of 12 finalists from nearly 1000 entries. The BBC World Challenge shines a spotlight on and rewards small businesses that bring economic, social and environmental benefits to local communities. Winning would bring a lot of attention to yerba mate as a viable and sustainable alternative to coffee, as well as to Guayaki’s innovative business model.
“We can have money and the things we need in this world, without destroying the forest.”
You know how I am about supporting innovation and small business. And about being the change you wish to see and voting with your dollar.
But today, it’s even easier: you can vote with a mouse click.
Do me a favor and watch a quick, one-minute video on Guayaki and get out the vote here. But do it fast! There are only a few days left.
And if you’ve actually tried yerba mate, give me the deets! Will I love it as much as my current morning brew?
