IMPACT
Here at Chiki, sustainability and social impact are at the core of our mission. We ensure that every step of the process helps our communities and the environment. From sustainable farming methods to female farmer empowerment, Chiki cares for the people and the planet. And it all starts with our regenerative farm project in Ecuador, right in the middle of The Valley of Longevity, Vilcabamba!
CHIKI BAMBA
In 2022, we launched our own 40 acre farm, geographically located in the middle of the world in Ecuador. Chiki Bamba sits in the Valley of Longevity, otherwise known as Vilcabamba, a blue zone home to many centenarians that’s known to be one of the most biodiverse areas on Earth. This project goes beyond being a farm, as it serves as an agroecological living lab for our company and planet.
Botanical innovation, research, & development is at the core of our ESG (Environmental, Social, & Governance) efforts to improve the lives of our farmers, consumers, and planet. By starting at the root of our supply chain, we are creating sustainability at the source, thus enabling impact all along the chain. Below are some things that we touch upon at Chiki Bamba. We are excited to bring Ecuador to the world!
REGENERATIVE ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
REGENERATIVE ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
Everything starts with the soil— they say 'soil is oil'. And to take it a step further, it starts with how we take care of our soil from the start, by composting in ethical ways to create the best fertilizers possible. Our compost is made up of 19 functional mushrooms that we grow on our farm and then transfer to cement beds for processing into fertilizer. You can also say, fertilizer with sazón!
We then use an ally cropping method to ensure that there is proper biodiversity on our farm, so that nutrients pass along to all of our ingredients. This means that we grow and harvest different crops next to each other to ensure maximum biodiversity.
All of these processes will improve flavors and boost antioxidants, while improving the health of our planet.
REFORESTATION
REFORESTATION
Vilcabamba and its surrounding areas has had a boom in the last 30 years in population, with most new residents coming from abroad. Although this is great for new opportunities for the locals, it also has caused deforestation. Chiki’s 40 acre farm sits in the middle of this valley, and aims to reforest our entire property in the next 24 months. In a short amount of time in reforesting, we have noticed the environmental impacts of the flora & fauna in the region.
WATER CONSERVATION
WATER CONSERVATION
We recently fixed the local water dam which not only helped to improve our water supply at Chiki Bamba, but also impacted many of the local residents to have a cleaner and more consistent water source. Over time, we aim to make further improvements all the way to the source, thus impacting thousands of residents in the region, as we strive to have more direct and mineral rich water resources.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Besides many of the initiatives that we have impacting our botanicals, we also care to realize that improving our surrounding ecosystem is important to the overall health of the planet. Since Chiki started reforesting, we have noticed the presence of different species in our farm, including some birds that haven’t been seen in the region in decades, along with rare butterflies on our property.
BLOCKCHAIN: TRACEABILITY & TRANSPARENCY
Phase 2 of our ESG initiatives will be driven by creating traceability and transparency to consumers of their ingredients via blockchain. Beyond water, with the majority of our ingredients being botanicals, we feel that it’s important for consumers to see where their ingredients come from. Our blockchain powered supply chain will debut in the near future, and enable consumers to see things such as the days that the botanicals are planted & harvested, soil health scores, and the ability to meet the farmers of particular ingredients and lots, plus much more.
FEMALE FARMER EMPOWERMENT + EDUCATION FOR INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
FEMALE FARMER EMPOWERMENT + EDUCATION FOR INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
Phase 3 of our project involves one of the largest motivating factors to do what we do, which is to empower local farmers to implement our regenerative practices onto their parcels of land.
After we establish a working model at Chiki Bamba that is tried, tested, and proven, we have visions to broadly scale this and impact thousands of female farmers in the region.
The global botanical supply chain is driven primarily by rural and/or indigenous female farmers, who traditionally have had a lack of funding, resources, and guidance to improve and modernize their agricultural practices. We at Chiki saw this as an opportunity to impact our people and the planet by empowering and educating them with techniques that will allow them to increase their yields and revenues.
BOTANICALS
BOTANICALS
Our organic antioxidant botanicals deliver flavor plus function.
CHIKI IN A BOTTLE
CHIKI IN A BOTTLE
Our efforts go beyond our farm and farmers. We also are on a mission to deliver the best product that we can. Our product is a constant evolution and we are always looking to improve. We strive to deliver our best tropical water with organic ingredients and great taste.
1% for the Planet® + Rainforest Partnership
1% for the Planet® + Rainforest Partnership
We are members of the organization 1% for the Planet® which enables us to donate one percent of our annual sales to causes such as the Rainforest Partnership.
Rainforest Partnership is an environmental organization that helps conserve and protect tropical rainforests, as well as uplifts indigenous people and women in Ecuador. They have helped women create sustainable incomes and get access to resources like cleaner water and solar power, and they are making strides in protecting rainforests. They have unwavering dedication to the people and environment in Ecuador. We are excited about working with them, and look forward to sharing details about projects in the future.
