By Juliana Splendore In late summer of 2016, Emily Stone, the founder of Uncommon Cacao – an American supplier of specialty cacao beans to artisanal chocolate producers – travelled to Colombia for the first time to scout potential sustainable cacao producers. Her trip took her to two extreme corners of Colombia – the Sierra Nevada, […]
This article by Steve Zwick and Ciro Calderon was originally published for Ecosystem Marketplace. Peruvian cuisine is the ultimate fusion of the indigenous and the exogenous, and it’s sparked a demand for exotic and diverse fruits and vegetables. Here’s how the region of Caserio Pimental – Peru’s pepper district – is meeting part […]
Read More… from How Peru’s Pepper District Became An Organic Hotspot
By Iván Ulchur-Rota “Was there enough for everyone?”, I asked Estefy Baldeón, chef and Canopy Bridge consultant, about the fish just grilled in a forest clearing on the banks of the Aguarico River in the Amazon. “Everyone ate,” she answered. “And they loved it.” After eating dinner around the fire, four chefs, the Canopy […]
Jacob Olander First it was hamburgers, then chocolate and now guacamole. Tropical forests are being relentlessly sacrificed for our far-away indulgences. Avocado growers are trashing native pine and oak forests in Mexico. A boom in cocoa planting comes at the expense of tropical forests in West Africa and Peru. And beef is responsible […]
Read More… from Consuming deforestation: Where are your standards?
Iván Ulchur Rota El açaí (Euterpe oleracea) es un pequeño fruto negro que cuelga de los topes de palmeras en las zonas bajas e inundables en la Amazonía. En el archipiélago amazónico de Bailique, en el noreste de la Amazonía brasileña, sus cultivadores trepan las largas y delgadas palmeras atando sus pies con una […]
Read More… from Bailique: el protocolo comunitario que dio frutos
Por David Berón Imagina lo siguiente: acabas de empezar una empresa para conectar directamente a pequeños agricultores del campo colombiano con miles de consumidores en las grandes ciudades del país. Tu modelo de negocios puede duplicar los ingresos de los agricultores, mejorar la calidad de la comida en los centros urbanos y demostrar […]
Read More… from Propulsando los negocios sociales: ¿Qué son las aceleradoras?
By David Berón Picture this. You have started a small enterprise to directly connect smallholders in rural Colombia with consumers in the country’s largest cities. Your business model could boost the incomes of farmers, increase the quality of food in urban centers, and make a case for affordable and readily available organic produce. […]
Read More… from Picking up Speed for Startups: Our Accelerator Roundup
Agustin Nervi “Before they came, nothing happened here. There was no market, nothing…” Claudio whispered as he skillfully drove his trusty F-100 through sandy roads across the wild dry thorny bush that characterizes the Chaco-Santiagueño plains in South America. As we approached his village it was clear I was in for an interesting […]
Read More… from Getting Fair Trade right; honey and poverty in rural Argentina
I used to be a barista. “Are your beans certified?”, people would ask as they waited on the counter and as I struggled with the latte art. “Yes,” I´d answer, pointing at the many seals attached to our coffee bean bags. There were three, but they differed depending on the batch: Fairtrade Labeling Organization […]
This article by Kelli Barrett and Ciro Calderon was originally published for Ecosystem Marketplace. Guatemalan forest communities living within Central America’s most intact rainforest are on a journey to become sustainable and self-reliant, and they’re relying on the Maya nut, long treated as a staple food across Latin America and even beyond, to help them […]
