At RioLife, we’re as passionate about the environment and communities our acai berries come from as we are about the berries themselves. (And since we famously can’t get through a single day without a delicious and energising RioLife acai bowl for breakfast, you know that means we’re pretty passionate!)
Unlike most other industries in the Amazon basin, the harvesting of acai berries doesn’t involve the destruction of the precious trees that make this region so unique, harbour a plethora of wildlife and act as the lungs of the earth, continuously converting carbon dioxide back into life-giving oxygen for all of us.
In fact, the harvesting of acai is one of only a handful of sustainable commercial initiatives identified by Greenpeace as having the capacity to make a meaningful difference to the deforestation of the region.
The main commercial activities in the Amazon are logging and farming, both of which involve the clearing of trees in an alarming, unsustainable, and often illegal manner.
In contrast, the harvesting of acai berries does not involve deforestation.
It’s a win-win-win situation. The jungle is protected from land clearing, the locals earn an income, and here in Australia we get to enjoy antioxidant-rich acai berries safe in the knowledge that we’re contributing to the health and sustainability of the Amazon.
Key to the environmental success of the acai industry has been the realisation among local communities of how valuable and financially viable it is for them to keep the açaí palms alive so the berries can be harvested over and over again.
Education obviously plays a major role here, both in terms of local awareness of the economic value of acai berries and the issues associated with deforestation, and also in providing employment opportunities outside of the mainstream farming and logging industries.
So, having a fair trade-based business relationship with the workers who gather and process our 100% wild harvested and certified organic acai berries is not enough for us. We also believe it’s important to help educate their kids.
Since RioLife opened its doors in 2005, we’ve been donating a percentage of all retail sales to help build and fund schools in this part of the Amazon.
With your support, we’re thrilled that RioLife and the registered charity ACAIMU are now providing schooling and medical and dental care for nearly 100 children, many of whom would otherwise be unable to go to school due to the remoteness of their homes.
The children are transported to the school by boat, fed a meal, and given lessons in reading, writing, maths, environmental studies, home economics and crafts and social living in the community.
We’re committed to creating a healthy, sustainable future for these children and the region they live in, and with every purchase of RioLife Freeze-Dried Acai berry Powder, you’re contributing to that goal.
As they say in Brazil, obrigado. Thanks!