Guayakí Yerba Mate Named Mindful Awards' 2024 Company of the Year

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Jun 12, 2024, 10:17 ET

Organic Beverage Leader Takes Top Honor for Decades of Regenerative Business

SEBASTOPOL, Calif., June 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Guayakí Yerba Mate, a trailblazer in the yerba mate and organic beverage industries, proudly accepts the title of "2024 Mindful Company of the Year" from the Mindful Awards. Approaching 30 years of innovative mission-driven business, Guayakí Yerba Mate is setting the pace for regenerative impact in the North American beverage scene.

A pioneer in organic beverages, Guayakí introduced its loose-leaf mate to natural food shelves in 1996. Today, it is a national brand boasting an impressive 86% market share in yerba mate and 45 SKUs across the US and Canada. The founders' enduring passion for mate and commitment to regenerative agriculture are embodied in Guayakí's Market Driven Regeneration™ business model. This approach aims to create a positive impact across all operations and the entire supply network.

Highlights from Guayakí's Regenerative Business Journey:

Pioneering regenerative agriculture practices in yerba mate production across Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay through deep, long-standing relationships with local producers and harvesters.
Achieving numerous firsts in sustainability: one of the first companies to become a B Corp when the certification launched (2007), first to offer fair trade certified yerba mate under the Fair for Life standard (2009), and first to source Regenerative Organic Certified® yerba mate and sugar cane (2022). Guayakí's producers in Argentina and Brazil have proudly achieved Regenerative Organic Certified® Gold level.
Empowering Indigenous and local farming communities with fair trade premiums and long-term partnerships that incentivize regenerative, shade-grown production practices.
In 2023, Guayaki's shade-grown yerba mate production areas totaled almost 50,000 acres, over 99% of total production. In addition, more than 80% Guayaki's green leaf yerba mate was harvested from its Regenerative Organic Certified® producers in Brazil and Argentina. The investment underscores Guayakí's commitment to economic stability as well as traditional cultural practices, and conservation and restoration of the critically important Atlantic Forest.

Ben Mand, Chief Executive Officer at Guayakí Yerba Mate, expressed, "Being recognized as the 'Mindful Company of the Year' is a celebration of Guayakí's transformative vision that intertwines a big heart with bold ideas. The hundreds of awards entries for this category affirm that business for good has evolved from a radical concept in the 1990s to a robust, collective strength today. Looking forward, it will be mindful partnerships between companies like ours that drive significant impact."

"Guayakí has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to sustainable practices and community empowerment. Their innovative approach to cultivating and promoting yerba mate not only prioritizes environmental stewardship but also uplifts Indigenous communities, creating a model for responsible business that truly resonates with the core values of our organization. The Mindful Award is proud to honor Guayakí Yerba Mate as our 2024 Mindful Company of the Year," added Travis Grant, Managing Director, Mindful Awards.

Mindful Awards is an independent recognition platform that honors conscious companies that are mindfully making waves in the world of consumer-packaged goods. The annual product awards, which attracted more than 2,000 nominations from across the globe this year, are selected using a mix of criteria including impact, transparency, innovation, health, deliciousness, and credibility.

For the full list of the 2024 Mindful Awards winners, visit: https://mindfulawards.com/.

To explore more about Guayakí Yerba Mate and join their regenerative business journey, visit Guayaki.com or follow @Guayaki on social media.

About Guayakí Yerba Mate
Based in Sebastopol and Venice, California, Guayakí [Gwy-uh-kee], the 2024 Mindful Awards Company of the Year, is the leader in yerba mate [yer-bah ma-tay] beverages. As a certified B Corp and registered Social Purpose Corporation, Guayakí's regenerative business model aspires to create a net positive impact in the world throughout its operations and supply web, starting at the source. That's why Guayakí sources shade-grown, certified regenerative, organic, and fair trade mate that helps conserve and restore the Atlantic Forest in South America. Guayakí works closely with smallholder and Indigenous producers to implement its high environmental and social impact standards and invest in community-driven projects. Guayakí products are available at more than 45,000 stores across the US and Canada. More information about retail locations and products can be found online at www.Guayaki.com.

SOURCE Guayakí Yerba Mate