USDA-CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCT
➊
PRO ECUADOR
Runa Hibiscus-Berry Guayusa Tea
BROWN UNIVERSITY GRADUATES TYLER GAGE AND DAN MACCOMBIE
turned down Fulbright grants and job offers to instead move to Ecuador
and begin a social mission to support Amazonian farmers. There they
discovered the runa lifestyle. To the native Quechua people, runa is
someone who is energetic, inspired and respectful of the environment; the
word literally translates to "fully alive."
A tea ceremony introduced the pair to guayusa tea, made from a leaf native to the
Ecuadorian Amazon. They began to envision a business that would share the rich-tasting
tea and cultural traditions of the Quechua while supporting small farmers.
Now five years old, the company offers teas and energy drinks made from guayusa,
which contains as much caffeine as coffee and double the antioxidants of green tea. The
leaf, with a natural sweetness, pairs well with tart hibiscus in Runa Hibiscus-Berry Guayusa
Tea. "Our Hibiscus-Berry flavor is our most popular," says Gage. "The smoothness of the
brewed guayusa mixes wonderfully with the organic hibiscus we source from TeaWolf."
In support of the business's philosophy, Runa products help support 2,000 farming
families and have generated $100,000 of direct income to indigenous farmers, according to
a recent segment on Bloomberg TV. Suggested retail price: $1.99/14 fluid ounces. Contact:
Karina Amaluisa, Pro Ecuador; 212.719.2220; kamaluisam@proecuador.gob.ec.—E.P.
➊ LOTUS FOODS
Organic Brown Mekong
Flower Rice
Contact: Caryl Levine
510.525.3137, ext. 118
caryl@lotusfoods.com;
info@lotusfoods.com
lotusfoods.com
S38 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE
specialtyfood.com
