We sat down to talk to Eliot Logan-Hines, Executive Director of the Runa Foundation. The Runa Foundation is a not-for-profit entity that works closely with its commercial partner, Runa LLC, to support communities and ecosystems in the Amazon by commercializing its one-of-a-kind products in a manner that adds value to and conserves the forest, as well […]
Read More… from After introducing Guayusa to the world, what’s next for Runa?
Cutting out the middlemen and increasing local processing are commonly seen as the key to helping small producers capture more value and improve their incomes. Extracting oil instead of selling Brazil nuts, processing frozen fruit pulp instead of fresh fruit, making chocolate bars instead of cocoa beans – the finished product is clearly more […]
Comúnmente se cree que evitar los intermediarios y aumentar el procesamiento local son claves para que pequeños productores puedan mejorar sus ingresos. Extraer el aceite en vez de vender la nuez de donde proviene, procesar fruta en pulpa congelada en vez de vender fruta fresca, elaborar barras de chocolate en vez de granos de […]
Created in order to provide a system of trust in which buyers can be confident that their products really are what they claim to be, certifications are powerful incentives for both producers and consumers to commit to best practices. For producers, a certification can open doors to new markets, some of which are willing […]
Read More… from Navigating the World of Certifications and Guarantee Systems
We recently worked with a Shanghai-based startup, Cambio Coffee, to connect them with sustainable producer groups as they searched for new partners in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. We joined up with Cambio Coffee’s Sebastián and Felipe Martin for part of their trip when they visited Quito and the Galapagos Islands. Cambio Coffee is a growing social enterprise dedicated to creating a positive impact on the environment and farming communities in Latin America […]
The gap between what farmers and forest dwellers receive for their products and what these are ultimately sold for in rich country markets is often staggering. Adding more value to sustainable natural products and selling them more directly are often seen as options for closing this gap to help producers keep a bigger share of the final product’s value. And while there are some great examples of capturing value this way, the much reviled ‘middlemen’ often play crucial […]
Read More… from Cutting Out the Middleman: Not always the best strategy?
