Guayakí Sustainable Rainforest Products, Inc., more commonly known as Guayakí and recently rebranded as Yerba Madre, is an
organic beverage company specializing in
yerba mate
Yerba mate or yerba maté (), ''Ilex paraguariensis'', is a plant species of the holly genus native to South America. It was named by the French botanist Augustin Saint-Hilaire. The leaves of the plant can be steeped in hot water to make a bev ...
products based in
Sebastopol, California
Sebastopol ( ) is a city in Sonoma County, California, with a recorded population of 7,521, per the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census.
Sebastopol was once primarily a plum- and apple-growing region. Wine grapes are the predominant a ...
. In addition to offering loose-leaf yerba mate, Guayakí also sells canned as well as carbonated yerba mate drinks, and energy shots. Guayakí receives American-nationwide distribution to approximately 10,000 stores, primarily through organic and health-oriented grocery stores such as
Whole Foods among other retailers, as well as through online channels.
About
Guayakí was founded in 1996 as a
CalPoly San Luis Obispo senior project by Alex Pryor and David Karr.
In 2018 Guayakí's mission was, in part, to "steward and restore 200,000 acres of rainforest and create over 1,000 living-wage jobs by 2020" in the
Atlantic Forest through their own "Market Driven Restoration" model, the idea that
imperialism
Imperialism is the maintaining and extending of Power (international relations), power over foreign nations, particularly through expansionism, employing both hard power (military and economic power) and soft power (diplomatic power and cultura ...
and
colonialism
Colonialism is the control of another territory, natural resources and people by a foreign group. Colonizers control the political and tribal power of the colonised territory. While frequently an Imperialism, imperialist project, colonialism c ...
as a result of the market for products from less-developed countries can be combatted using the market itself.
The name Guayakí comes from the Indigenous
Aché people of Paraguay, who are ancestral consumers of the mate plant. In the interest of social and environmental responsibility, the company works with the Aché people to conserve the rainforest habitat they dwell in and harvest mate. Guayakí pays the community for the use of its name.
Guayakí is California's first
B Corporation, certified organic by
USDA Organic; Additionally, the company is also certified
fair trade by IMO and is a member of
Fair Trade Federation
The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is a North American nonprofit trade association that provides support to and promotes North American businesses that they identify as being fully committed to the principles of fair trade.
In this vein, it desc ...
, and the first yerba mate company to achieve biodynamic certification.
In April, 2021, the brand announced Stefan Kozak will step in as the new CEO of the company. Kozak is the former CEO of
Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and ...
North America.
In November, 2023, Stefan Kozak stepped down as CEO. Robyn Lawrie Rutledge was appointed as interim CEO after serving as a board member since 2020.
On March 21st, 2024, Ben Mand was announced as the new CEO of the company after Robyn Rutledge accepted the role of Board Executive Chair. Mand was previously the CEO of
Harmless Harvest.
References
External links
*
Bloomberg Business company profile
1996 establishments in California
Certified B Corporations in the Food & Beverage Industry
Drink companies based in California
Companies based in Sonoma County, California
Fair trade organizations
Organic farming organizations
Organizations established in 1996
Yerba mate
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