Sourcing Doterra Copaiba

(Doterra Copaiba co-impact sourcing)

Doterra's copaiba sourcing project helps local farmers achieve sustainable sourcing. Sustainable sourcing is very important in Doterra's philosophy, so in this article, we present one such project.

In 2023, Doterra examined the impact of its sourcing with regard to copaiba. The total number of people involved in the project reaches 10,131, which shows the widely examined impact.

• People supported through jobs: 185
• People supported through jobs including family members: 611
• Number of people affected through social projects: 9,521

 
Why Brazil?

Listen up!

Listen to the buzzing of insects, the patter of rain, and the cries, chirps, and calls of birds.

As we glide along the Amazon, observe the trees in the vast jungle and feel the air almost clinging to your skin. Copaiba trees grow in tropical South America, especially in the Amazon region of Brazil. The Amazon basin has a constant humidity of approximately 80-85 percent year-round and an average of 230 cm of rain annually. Since the Amazon is near the equator, it receives 12 hours of sunshine daily throughout the year. These conditions are extraordinary for plant growth, and Copaiba trees thrive in this unique climate.

But what's behind the Doterra bottles?

Are you curious about where your Copaiba essential oil comes from? Who works on it and how it affects them? In the "Behind the Bottle" episodes, get to know the families behind doTERRA Copaiba essential oil and gain insight into their lives and needs - including what it takes to harvest Copaiba resin and the huge need for dental care among locals, in which Doterra helps them.

Get to know the people behind each bottle of doTERRA Copaiba!

The harvesting process

The essential oil is obtained from the Copaiba tree resin by steam distillation. Copaiba trees are treated similarly to maple trees for syrup: the tree is tapped to extract the resin. The Copaiba trees in the Amazon are inaccessible for six months due to the weather, as there is a rainy season every year between January and June. During this time, the rivers and tributaries rise by an average of 6 meters, making Copaiba trees accessible only by boat.

When a tree is first tapped, it initially yields a so-called base quantity of resin. The hole is then sealed, and the tree is re-tapped once or twice a year. The amount of resin produced by a Copaiba tree depends on the diameter of the tree, the size of its canopy, and its location within the jungle canopy, but each tree can produce between 2 and 6 liters of resin annually. A Copaiba tree can live up to 400 years and grow over 30 meters tall.

The Doterra team works with local harvesting families who live along the Amazon River in Brazil. These families are accustomed to traveling by boat to reach neighbors and nearby settlements. Each family cares for several trees, a tradition that has been maintained for generations.

Helping people: creating jobs

The Amazon communities are among Brazil's poorest regions. Amazonas state is Brazil's fourth poorest state, with about 17 percent of its 3.6 million inhabitants living below the poverty line. Rural populations in Brazil have the highest poverty rates, partly due to a lack of support for small farmers.

By sourcing Copaiba resin in Amazonas state, the Doterra team supports at least 3,000 harvesters in their livelihoods. Although harvesters previously had buyers, they were not guaranteed a fair market price for their products, and sales were irregular. With doTERRA, these harvesters now regularly and reliably receive a predetermined, fair price for their product.

• 2019 Dental Project ($26,920)
• 2020 Covid Relief – Food Packages ($18,240)
• 2021 Covid Relief – Medical equipment and healthcare units
• In 2019, the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation (dHHF) funded a dental clinic for 350 residents in seven remote Copaiba harvesting communities to address urgent dental care needs.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the dHHF collaborated with Copaiba sourcing partners to provide support to local hospitals and health units, as well as essential needs to families and individuals in the state of Pará. Necessary equipment and materials were distributed to two hospitals and 24 health units in the municipalities of Oriximiná, Faro, and Terra Santa.

The doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation, in collaboration with our sourcing partner, also supported a food security initiative, providing essential food items such as dried milk and beans, and hygiene products such as soap and detergent. These packages were delivered to a total of 450 families, approximately 2,250 people, across seven harvesting areas.

Source: https://www.sourcetoyou.com/en/stories/story/copaiba

Dental care for villagers - video