In 2007, Pixie Mate joined forces with Eco-Teas and some of their additional customers to pool funds and initiate a reforestation effort in Missiones, Argentina. This northeastern province of Argentina serves not only as a major yerba mate production area, but also host to the largest surviving tract of the Interior Atlantic Forest.

Mate is typically produced in a manner whereby the surrounding forest is cut down, and mate is planted exclusively in order to maximize yield for the farmer or corporation growing the cherished leaves. As you'd expect, this has a profound detrimental effect on surrounding flora and fauna.

With the intention of creating a 'buffer' between cleared land and intact native rain forest, we planted over 6000 native tree species and an additional 500 fruit trees directly interspersed with the yerba mate trees. This planting occurred in this spring on the same family farm that grows our organic yerba mate. The long term effect of this effort will result in our mate being grown in the shade of a thriving forest canopy and the surrounding native rain forest remaining in a healthy and rehabilitating condition.

As our company grows (and gains bigger and better financial strength) these are the types of projects you can count on us getting intimately involved with. For more information on the environment in this beautiful region of the world, check the links below. Thanks for your support.

Rehabilitation of Degraded Lands (pdf)

Presence & Abundance of Birds (pdf)