Guayakí Yerba Mate has been a B Corporation member since 2011, continually raising the bar on how we can transform the world by using business as a force for good. Certified B Corporations are considered leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. This designation means that a business meets high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. In 2019, we integrated our business so that both our brand and distribution operations reside under our parent company, Guayakí Yerba Mate, S.P.C. In 2021, we elected to expand the scope of our B Corp certification under Guayakí Yerba Mate S.P.C. to integrate all of our operations in North America and South America under this designation. In doing so, our B Corp score dropped as expected due to our broadened scope which also helped identify opportunities to improve our regenerative practices across all of our operations. We are looking forward to our next B Corp assessment in 2024 and are monitoring the changes B Corp is making to its standards and performance requirements. Read more about B Corp Certification here and Guayakí’s last B Corp assessment here.
Guayakí Sustainable Rainforest Products, Inc. is fair trade certified according to the Fair for Life standard. The vision of Fair for Life is a world where trade, through ethical, fair, and respectful partnerships, is a driving force for positive and sustainable change benefiting people and their environment. Fair trade purchases generate a higher price for producers and a fair trade fund for investment in their communities. In 2009, our company became a pioneer in the yerba mate industry by being one of the first in the world to offer fair trade certified yerba mate, a reflection of our dedication to the quality of our products, the environment, and the yerba mate producers in South America. Our 2022 Fair for Life audit stated, “Guayaki is committed to their Fair for Life program and continuous improvement in their activities. They work closely with their Fair for Life producer operations in country to ensure traceability and fair processes throughout the supply chain.”
Today, all the organic yerba mate that Guayakí Sustainable Rainforest Products, Inc. purchases and imports from Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay is fair trade certified according to the Fair for Life standard. That standard of fair trade certification is carried through to Guayakí’s Traditional Loose Leaf Mate and Traditional Mate Bags. Audits are conducted annually to assess Guayakí Sustainable Rainforest Products, Inc.’s social and environmental policies and practices, yerba mate supply chains, and the working conditions at our warehouses and corporate offices. Read more about Fair for Life here.
In addition to our company Fair for Life certification, Guayakí sources individual fair trade ingredients certified under various fair trade standards and certifying bodies (including, but not limited to, Fair for Life), including brewed yerba mate, yerba mate extract, cane sugar, agave syrup, honey, and rooibos which appear under the ingredient label and are denoted with an asterisk. In 2022, approximately 89% of our ingredients (by weight) were fair trade certified by Fair for Life or other standards.
Regenerative Organic Certified® is a revolutionary new certification for food, textiles, and personal care ingredients overseen by the nonprofit, Regenerative Organic Alliance. Regenerative Organic Certified® was established in 2017 by a group of farmers, business leaders, and experts in soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness with a mission to build soil health, ensure equity for farm workers, empower farmers, and improve animal welfare through a holistic, farm-based, brand-driven certification. In 2019, Guayakí’s yerba mate producer in Argentina, Reserva Agroecológica Iguazú, participated in the first Regenerative Organic Certified® Pilot Program for yerba mate and achieved Gold level certification. In 2022, we celebrated the shipment and receipt of the world’s first ever Regenerative Organic Certified® yerba mate to be used in Guayakí products. Furthering our commitment to this certification, we are in the process of certifying our yerba mate supply chain in Brazil and are awaiting third-party audits to be conducted in 2023. Read more about Regenerative Organic Certified® here.
Since its very beginnings, Guayakí Yerba Mate has been dedicated to the organic movement as a means to creating a positive environmental impact through our raw materials and ingredients. For over two decades, Guayakí Sustainable Rainforest Products, Inc. has maintained organic certification as part of its sourcing policy, providing the assurance to our consumers that Guayakí products are produced according to federal standards set by the USDA National Organic Program. From our third-party organic certifier, CCOF, “Organic standards promote and enhance biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil fertility, and restore, maintain, and enhance ecological harmony.” All Guayakí products are certified organic, and in 2022, 99.9% of ingredients purchased by Guayakí Sustainable Rainforest Products, Inc. (by weight) were certified organic. Read more about USDA Organic here.
The Non-GMO Project is a mission-driven nonprofit organization offering rigorous product verification and trustworthy education that empowers people to care for themselves, the planet, and future generations. In addition to being organic certified, a standard which prohibits the use of genetic engineering, all Guayakí products have been Non-GMO Project Verified since 2009. We know some consumers specifically look for the Non-GMO Project label and share the belief that everyone has a right to know what is in the products they consume. Read more about The Non-GMO Project here.
All Guayakí Yerba Mate products are certified Kosher by Kosher Supervision of America (KSA). Kosher certification signifies approval by a rabbinic agency that certified products adhere to Kosher dietary law requirements, with requirements that may include ingredient evaluation, as well as overseeing the final production. For many consumers, the Kosher symbol is a sign of quality, and including the Kosher symbol on our packaging informs consumers who keep Kosher that they may enjoy Guayakí products. Read more about KSA here.
