Non-GMO Warrior: Jeffrey Smith

As you may, or may not, know this last October was the first ever Non-GMO month. The Non-GMO Project was sure to hand out Non-GMO shopping guides at local retailers and host educational events around the country that answered a very important question:

Why is non-GMO food important in the first place? Well, GMOs, or “genetically modified organisms,” are created by various genetic engineering techniques to produce species with specific attributes (bigger/better/faster). However, GMOs are not proven to be safe for consumption, although they are widely distributed around the world in many foods you may be consuming. Interesting thing to note, GMOs are banned in Europe where people fought successfully to keep them out of the food system, but here in the US widespread common foods like corn and soy (including most corn syrup) are made from GMO crops.

One man, known by the world as the no-GMO guy, Jeffrey Smith has a lot to say about the matter. His organization, called the Institute for Responsible Technology, states that,

“Genetic engineers continually encounter unintended side effects – GM plants create toxins, react to weather differently, contain too much or too little nutrients, become diseased or malfunction and die. When foreign genes are inserted, dormant genes may be activated or the functioning of genes altered, creating new or unknown proteins, or increasing or decreasing the output of existing proteins inside the plant. The effects of consuming these new combinations of proteins are unknown.” But people can predict, and Mr. Smith in his best seller, Genetic Roulette, clearly outlines numerous health and environmental threats from GMO activity.

Jeffrey Smith, a long time friend of Sambazon’s, is joining our tribe of Warriors and you’ll be able to see his full profile on the Sambazon website in a couple weeks.

If you’re interested in learning more, I encourage you to check out the Institute for Responsible Technology.

Q & A: Sambazon's Sustainable Business Practices

Q and A highlights standout inquiries from customers that we receive each month.

Q: What impact does your açaí harvest have on the Amazon Rainforest and what does it mean when you say your açaí is “sustainable”?

A: Click play below to find out!


If you have questions or comments, please email them to Sambazon Co-Founder Ed Nichols at info@sambazon.com, and he will be in touch!

Earth Day Celebration At Our Local Ecology Center!

Over the years, our investment in the environment has brought us close with others who share the same commitment. One of those organizations is the San Juan Capistrano Ecology Center, located one town away from our headquarters. The Ecology Center, housed in an old craftsman property, sits on the only organic farm in Orange County and is the hub of discussion and action about sustainability, organics, and environmental responsibility in the region. From teaching field trip groups of kids about how to recycle and grow their own veggies, to hosting a summer speaker series that draws progressive thinkers from around the world, the Ecology Center is truly building a local platform and knowledgebase for positive change in our world.

This year’s Earth Day Festival at the Ecology Center drew over 500 locals, who came to buy organic starter plants, learn how to sprout grains and seeds, tie die some clothes with natural inks, indulge in an all organic lunch and listen to some amazing bluegrass... And ultimately to participate in the fun simple things in life that make one’s footprint a little less harsh. We contributed açaí bowls and set up an açaí seed workshop where kids and adults could learn about the whole process of harvesting açaí, try our açaí sorbet and then use the seeds from the berries to make unique jewelry. It was truly a gorgeous spring day – where the young and old and everyone in between came to celebrate the earth by learning how to better take care of her.

To learn more about the Ecology Center and the programs they have, please click here to visit them online.

Keep it Purple,
Kaia Lai - West Events Manager / SAMBAZON

Happy Earth Day! - Written by Ryan Black, CEO of Sambazon

While Earth Day is one of our favorite weeks and favorite days to celebrate, here at Sambazon, we treat everyday like Earth Day. While this sentiment may sound a little bit cheesy, it’s true. We do our best to contribute to the health of our environment and community on a daily basis. We keep our office as green as possible – we use reusable utensils, recycled paper and recycled shipping supplies. We are constantly striving to reduce the carbon footprint of our business by using the newest and greenest solutions to our marketing and shipping practices – for more information on these initiatives – check out the blogs written earlier this week by Sambazon team members, Jody, Cameron and Keith.

At Sambazon, sustainable business practice is an even larger part of what we do in our office and within our community here in Southern California. The mission of our business is to maintain our triple bottom line success as we grow. Our focus is on the environmental, social and economic impact of our business. By working closely with the world’s foremost conservation organizations (like The Nature Conservancy) and other key non-governmental organizations, Sambazon has pioneered the first of its kind Fair Trade, sustainable and certified Organic supply chain of açaí. As a result, Sambazon has positively impacted over 1,100 local family farmers and over 1.7 million acres of land in the Brasilian Amazon.

Over the past week, Sambazon has participated in Earth Day events all over the country – from LA to NYC – we have been out in full force supporting the various efforts of different communities celebrating Earth Day, including our own. Our annual Samba Earth Day is an afternoon dedicated to our employees, the individuals that believe in our mission and make Sambazon the incredibly dynamic and progressive company it is today. This year included an organic feast from one of our favorite local restaurants, guest speakers from the Ecology Center and ASEC along with staff speakers who shared the projects they are currently involved with - projects aimed at greening our practices. And as a new company initiative to eliminate unnecessary waste, we gave all employees purple Kleen Kanteens to use with our water cooler instead of the biodegradable cups we’ve had in the past.

We are constantly striving to improve our business practices and make them as “green” as they can possibly be. I encourage you to do the same in your business and personal life. Ride your bike instead of drive when you can. Bring reusable shopping bags to the farmers market. Print emails only when necessary and on recycled paper. Practice meat free Mondays. Every little thing really does add up and make a difference. Be kind to yourself and your environment.

Celebrate Earth Day everyday,
Ryan Black (CEO)

Sambazon's Environmentally Friendly and Sustainable Packaging

Sambazon is, and has always been focused around sustainability and environmental stewardship through the sustainable harvest of organic açaí in the Brazilian Amazon. This year we have embarked on a thorough review of all packaging we use in order to improve and lessen our environmental footprint, while remaining mindful to still deliver the quality products you expect from Sambazon.

We are looking at materials as well as examining the environmental methods employed by our suppliers and production partners, such as their use of alternative or renewable energy sources, and the methods of transportation they employ and the distances required to produce and bring the materials to us.

Here’s an overview of what we are doing with our current materials:

• Bottles: Our bottles contain part post industrial recycle content (PIR), unused plastic from production that is then reground and reused in the production of our bottles. While that’s a great step, we’re examining new and better substrates that use higher levels of recycled material while maintaining optimal quality and freshness for our products.



• Labels: The major environmental concern with standard labels is the volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) used in the printing and adhesive process. Our new Açaí Freeze Dried Powder labels use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper with 30% post consumer recycled (PCR) material, vegetable based inks, and water based adhesives.



• Boxes: The public never really sees or handles the corrugated boxes that transport our juices, yet they are among the most recycled and recyclable in the industry. Now made from 86% PCR, our boxes are also printed with soy based inks and use water based adhesives.


• Pallet Shipping Materials: We are currently testing the use of 100% recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE, what #2 plastic is made from) instead of cardboard cornerboards for stability on our shipped pallets. Not only are these 100% recycled and recyclable, but they are also completely reusable.

As we strive to become truly ‘green’, due diligence is our main concern. There are many so-called environmentally friendly options that can be either misleading or in some cases more harmful. While we still have a long way to go, we promise to do our homework and only make changes that will truly make a positive impact. We have and will continue to change, upgrade and innovate, all with an eye to lowering our carbon footprint, increasing our environmental awareness and improving our sustainability standards.

-Keith Lord (Director of Sourcing)

Sambazon's Event Team Goes Green!

If you live in SoCal, Florida, or NYC chances are you’ve seen the Sambazon Road Warriors hitting the streets and spreading the Sambazon love. Here at Sambazon we are all about sustainability – from the recycled water bottles we use to print our marketing banners to the bio diesel that fuels our fleet, we keep it purple out in the streets. We encourage our eventers to only buy recycled paper towels, eco-friendly cleanser and reusable tools. If we use ingredients beyond our açaí (like granola and bananas for our bowls), we buy organic and as local as possible. We even use compostable corn starch cups and spoons when we are out at events making acai bowls for jiu jitsu fighters, yoga classes, and local beach cleanups. If you have ever seen a Sambazon demo in your local grocery store or tried a sample of our delicious juices at marathon, music festival, or triathlon – that sample cup you drank from is 100% compostable.

So next time you see Kaia, Pamela, Toby or me out at an event spreading the açaí love from coast to coast, be sure to say what's up and ask about how we continue to keep it “green”.

Get with the Purple Berry,
Cameron Faist (Sambazon Event Manager)

Sambazon's Green Printing Initiatives

Here at Sambazon, we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and protecting our natural resources, not only in the production of açaí, but also with our marketing efforts. We value the ecological impact and quality, over mass-producing “junk” at a lower price, which unfortunately is still a common trend today. As the Print Trafficker here at Sambazon, I work hard to find vendors who can help keep us on track with the latest and greenest printing options.

Through the help of our friends at Monster Media, New Leaf Paper, AOSA, Meridian Graphics and Lifework (to name a few of our awesome partners), we continue to further our efforts with sustainable printing and eco-alternatives. More recently, we produced some great looking banners with the help of AOSA made from 100% recycled PET – recycled water bottles. It's technology such as this that allows us to step outside of the box and hopefully lead a new wave of companies looking to go green.

Some of the other ways that these companies allow us to promote green printing is through the use of post-consumer recycled papers, chlorine-free papers, water-based and soy-based inks, along with the many eco certifications they hold. Furthermore, our friends at Monster Media and Lifework have taken it a step further by using solar power to generate clean effective energy for their place of business. This not only saves a few bucks, but more importantly eliminates toxins that pollute the air with chemicals such as nitrous oxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide.

Some of the more rigorous certifications our vendors hold are from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Green-E Renewable Energy and Ancient Forest Friendly Initiatives. These certifications, collectively, help promote the use of renewable energy, responsible use of forest resources and the use of paper that has a high percentage of post-consumer waste and no virgin fiber from old-growth, ancient or endangered forests.

While we continue to seek out more and more eco-alternatives, it saddens me to say that the options are still fairly limited, yet increasingly getting better over time. And while no individual or company is perfect, we can certainly strive to head in the right direction and change the “quick and cheap” culture that haunts the print world today.

Every company should strive to make these changes as well. By doing a some quick research, individuals and corporations can find environmentally friendly printers all over the United States. The more that environmentally friendly printing processes are demanded, the more available they will be to everybody. I encourage you to talk to the marketing team at your company (and/or email your favorite brands) to find out what they are doing to move towards using recycled and/or more environmentally friendly materials in their printed collateral - we can all make a difference by asking for positive change. This will not only help reduce the carbon footprint of your business, but give back to the environment that gives so much to us.

Keep it green & purple,
Jody Weisberg
Print Trafficker/ SAMBAZON

Part 3: Ocean Minded, Surfrider and Sambazon Work Toward Cleaner Beaches!

4Schools 4Months, Beach cleanup #3– Another solid beach cleanup at Strands. Capo Valley High Cleans up 210 pounds of trash for the month of March!

Here's some words from our friend and Ocean Minded Team Manager Frankie D’Andrea about the fourth beach cleanup.

"Today was the last clean up for Capo Valley High in March and they did a very impressive job this month. Over the course of four different clean ups at 30 minutes a clean, Capo High Surf team cleaned up 210 pounds of rubbish at Strands beach in Dana Point. The surf team was already down at the beach for their surf team meets so why not clean up their local spot. Today the team cleaned up 50 pounds of rubbish mostly consisting of plastic bottle tops, Styrofoam, straws and even a hyperemic needle. It was great to see the team work together and comb the beach for left behind trash from beach goers. Hats of to Coach Shultz and the Capo High Surf team for being so pro active and cleaning up Strands Beach. Capo Valley has the most trash collected to date in the Ocean Minded/ Surfrider 4 schools 4 months program, with a trash tally of 210 pounds in a month. Keep up the great work Capo and best of luck for the rest of the year."

-Frankie D'Andrea (Friend of Sambazon & Ocean Minded Team Manager)

Keep it Purple,
Kaia Lai - West Events Manager / SAMBAZON

Sambazon Exhibits At Natural Products Expo West!

Two weekends ago, the Sambazon crew packed up and traveled 30 miles north of our San Clemente office to Natural Products Expo West at the Anaheim Convention Center. Expo West is full of natural, organic and eco products ranging from yummy food products to environmentally friendly cleaning supplies to the latest in eco fashion.

While Sambazon has been exhibiting at Expo West for years now, this was my first expo and I was beyond excited to soak it all in. Arriving at the convention center, the Sambazon team was automatically greeted by our amazing Amazon rainforest themed booth that had a very chill, professional vibe complete with Brasilian beats for all to enjoy.

Every person that we passed a Sambazon sample to LOVED our product. Everybody seemed really into our new Antioxidant Elixir and couldn’t believe how great and refreshing it tasted and how low calorie it is. Our juices remained a favorite with both our hardcore customers and some new to the Sambazon brand. But, the hands down favorite was the acai sorbet bowls we made in the morning. We topped our sorbet with organic bananas and Kaia’s purple and green granola – delicious! We gave away thousands of samples and everybody walked away loving acai with big purple smiles.

Throughout the weekend, we hung out with other fantastic, like-minded companies like Guayaki Yerba Mate, Manitoba Harvest and Amazing Grass. We all had a fantastic time and it was incredible to meet other great people making a difference in the food industry.

If you have a chance to go to Expo West next year, stop by our booth and say hi!

- Kirsten Saladow (Sambazon's Communications Manager)

Part 2: Ocean Minded, Surfrider and Sambazon Work Toward Cleaner Beaches!

4School 4Months, Beach cleanup #2– Another rockin' beach cleanup down at Strands beach last wednesday morning! Ocean Minded and Capo Valley High cleaned up 60 pounds of trash putting them in first place in the trash tally.

Here's some words from our friend and Ocean Minded Team Manager Frankie D’Andrea about the second beach cleanup.

Ocean Minded and Capo Valley high cleaned up Strands beach this morning during the surf teams morning practice. It was the first clean up of the month for Capo Valley and they spent 30 minutes cleaning up thousands of little pieces of sea trash brought in from the recent storms. Denise from the south Orange County Surfrider Foundation was down at the beach educating the kids on trash and where it goes when it leaves the beach. Hats off to coach Shultz who has these kids well trained already in cleaning up the beaches. In total the group picked up 60 pounds of trash in 30 minutes. This is great seeing 80 percent of the trash was the tiny little pieces that go overlooked. Thanks to Sambazon and Surfen Donuts as well for keeping us fueled for the clean up.



Just wanted to thank you all for making this happen, great day and stoked on all the support from the kids and everyone else.

-Frankie D'Andrea (Friend of Sambazon & Ocean Minded Team Manager)


Keep it Purple,
Kaia Lai - West Events Manager / SAMBAZON

Ocean Minded, Surfrider and Sambazon Work Toward Cleaner Beaches!

4 Schools 4 Months – last month, we got involved in a “Clean your Beach” project with Ocean Minded and Surfrider Foundation. The idea is, four local high school surf teams in South Orange County compete to pick up the most trash during the 4 month period and the best beach cleaners win! So, from February to May, on any given morning, you’ll find 30-40 high school surfers out at their favorite break, cleaning the beach... And drinking Sambazon while doing it! We’ll have updates about each team’s progress so stay tuned as the trash tally unfolds!

Here’s some words from our friend and Ocean Minded Team Manager Frankie D’Andrea about the first beach cleanup day in late February.



4 Schools 4 Months Beach clean up with Dana Hills High was a great success.

The first beach clean up at Salt Creek with Dana Hills High surf team was a huge success. The whole team showed up at the beach early to practice for an up and coming surf contest next week and before they hit the water they had the chance to clean up their local break. Today was the first clean up of the 4 schools 4 months beach clean up program and it started off amazing. In the beginning Rick from South Orange County Surfrider educated the kids about trash at the beach and what happens to it once it leaves our beaches. In all the team cleaned up 40 pounds of trash in only 20 minutes. A huge thanks to the kids of Dana Hills High and coach Degen for having pride in their local break and cleaning up the beach. Also a huge thanks to Surfrider for the cool recycled trash sacks and to Sambazon for keeping the kids hydrated.

Until next time, keep your beach clean....
-Frankie D'Andrea (Friend of Sambazon & Ocean Minded Team Manager)


Keep it Purple,
Kaia Lai - West Events Manager / SAMBAZON

TED Conference- written by Jeremy Black, VP of Marketing, Sambazon

Thanks to our partners at Lexus Hybrid Living and Chef Akasha from Akasha Restaurant in Culver City, we had the opportunity to serve up our açai bowls and juices at the TED Conference last week. It was the first time I was able to attend this event which I'd heard really good things about so we were pretty excited to share some açai and meet some of the world's top change makers. Speakers included Bill Gates, James Cameron, Philip Howard and many more. Click here to see a recap of the event and I highly recommend you take a few minutes and watch Bill Gates' talk, everyone needs to be aware of this and be part of the solution.

The Lexus Hybrid Living Lounge was extremely well done and drew a sophisticated crowd. Al Gore walked up and wanted to know what was the deal with the purple stuff in the cup with the granola everyone was eating. So I got a chance to tell him a little about our company and products, as well as thank him for all the hard work he's been doing creating awareness for the Global Warming issue. Thanks again Al, you're making a big difference using your influence to create awareness and instigate change. Another highlight was Maggie Grace stopping by for a Rio bowl, she told me she first had our açai at Lanikai Juice in Hawaii when she was filming Lost. I had heard the whole cast made açai bowls a daily ritual and she confirmed that. Now living in LA she keeps our açai in her diet using our Pure Packs in her daily smoothie.

TED is all about good ideas, “what the world needs to know”, and brings some of the smartest thinkers in the world to share their solutions. And while at times it can be a little overwhelming when you hear about all the problems we are facing, it's good to know that there are passionate people who are working hard to solve them. I want to encourage everyone to find a way that you can become part of the solution, and if you're ready to start now and looking for some simple things you can do here are some easy ones:

1- Change out your light bulbs to CFLs or other Energy Star rated bulbs
2- bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store
3- Buy organic- for you, for the planet
4- Eat less (or no) meat (watch Food Inc)
5- and most importantly, vote with your dollars by buying from companies that you know are working to be a part of the solution as well.

Thanks and bless,
Jeremy

October is Fair Trade Month!

Did you know that along with being synonymous for breast cancer awareness month, October is Fair Trade month?

To celebrate we asked one of our founders, Travis Baumgardner, to write a quick summary of how Sambazon became Fair Trade certified!

“Fair Trade certification has been part of our company’s triple bottom line mission and overall values from the beginning. Our goal is to add value through our work to benefit the entire supply chain of Açai fruits, which not only includes environmental support, but also social and economic support to the families that own and manage the agro-forestry areas in the Amazon Rainforest where the fruit is harvested. Fair Trade certification identifies opportunities and measures progress socially and economically.

We remain the first and only source of Açaí to be certified Ecocert Fair Trade, providing sustainable employment for over 3,000 people and fostering environmental stewardship on over 1.7 million acres of biodiverse agro-forestry farms in Amapá and Pará States.

Fair Trade Certification supports all 3 pillars of Sambazon’s triple bottom line (economic-environmental-social) success. It guarantees that the agro-forestry farms and their families who supply Sambazon with Açai fruit are receiving a fair market price along with Sambazon funded technical support which will increase their family income and add value to their lives. By promoting triple bottom line success, the families and their work to promote bio diverse lands are proving the case for sustainable development in the Amazon Rainforest. Through Sambazon Açai, this is bringing long term development and improved living and financial freedoms to an impoverished region where clear cutting for lumber, soy and cattle are predominant.”

Thanks Travis! And Happy Fair Trade Month Everyone!

Super Acai Benefits by The Medicine Hunter

As featured on Fox News Health Blog:

The first time I ever tried acai (pron: ah-sah-yee) in 1997, the fruit was served to me as a thick drink by an Ipixunaindian woman, when I was living on the Amazon river for a month. Acai, Euterpeoleracea, was as deep purple as any food I had ever seen. In fact, a spill stained a favorite t-shirt of mine forever. I loved the rich flavor of acai, and the energy it imparted, and consumed as much as I could during the course of my time on the river. When I left Brazil that time, I lamented that I’d probably never be able to obtain acai back home. Times have changed, and this delicious fruit is now widely available, from Whole Foods to up-market grocery stores.

A so-called “super-berry” that grows on palms trees in the Amazon, acai is a staple food throughout Amazonia, and that status owes directly to its marvelous flavor. Acai explodes with flavor, and gets better with every mouthful. Rich in the potent purple pigments called anthocyanins, acai has a higher antioxidant activity rating than bilberries or blueberries, and is rich in beneficial dietary fibers. A glass of blended acai fruit, with just a slight touch of energizing guarana and certified organic sugar, imparts so much energy, you’ll want to dance and yodel while climbing a mountain at the same time. No wonder endurance cyclists and ball players have taken to this fruit. Surfers, skateboarders, X-gamers and outdoor enthusiasts speak of acai with reverence.

The berry craze is on full throttle now, and purveyors of each berry, from blueberries to blackberries, black currants and elderberries, have positioned their berry as the ultimate. All of these berries are rich in the purple antioxidant pigments called anthocyanins, and all impart both antioxidant protection to cells, and anti-inflammatory activity as well. As far as I am concerned, they are all extraordinary foods, and are valuable in any person’s diet. I just happen to favor acai most of all, because I love the flavor and the fact that the acai trade is helping to reduce deforestation in some parts of the Amazon.

Forest Preservation – Fast-forward years later, once more in the Brazilian rainforest, this time in the company of Ryan Black, founder of Sambazon Acai. We are watching several hard-working Brazilians climb tall acai palms rapidly, cut branches laden with ripe purple acai berries, and strip the berries into baskets, readying them for processing. “Our wildharvesting system was developed in conjunction with the Forest Sustainability Council,” Ryan explains. “We’ve taught people how to wildharvest acai, and protect the forest at the same time.” Through ecologically sound agro-forestry management practices, Sambazon has established a top-notch conservation program that protects the Amazon rainforest and minimizes habitat loss. On top of that, they’ve implemented a fair wage system that provides higher than average wages to over ten thousand families in Brazil’s Amapa state. Sambazon has won praise and support from World Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy and Greenpeace. As far as Ryan is concerned, it’s all just a reasonable and fair way to operate a business. “Might as well do it right if you’re going to do it,” he comments.

Harvested from August through December in the hot, humid Amazon rainforest, acai is a high labor fruit. I watch the remarkable climbing skills of the harvesters, and realize with some sadness that I could never climb trees like that, let alone do it every day.

Traditional acai- We are invited into a large wooden house with open windows and about a dozen children crowding around us, to watch a woman prepare acai the traditional way. In this house, the preparation is all performed by hand. The woman hand grinds the berries through fiber mats, until the juice and fine pulp drip into a container underneath. After laboring on our behalf for more than half an hour, she serves us acai. Several of us spoon the rich berry preparation into our mouths, and laugh at our good fortune until tears form in our eyes. “Now this is how to eat acai,” Ryan declares. Truth is, unless you make a pilgrimage to the Brazilian Amazon, your best acai bet will be freezer packs or smoothies found in natural food stores.

Acai diets– Just a quick word about the acai diets that everybody has been spammed over. Useless. Acai is not a diet miracle. It is a wonderful, amazing-tasting, highly beneficial fruit that gives you energy and makes you feel good. But don’t be bilked by companies that want you to believe it’s the key to slimming. It isn’t.

There’s really no need to try to make something more than it is. In the case of acai, this is a superior, nutrient-rich fruit with tremendous antioxidant value. It offers great flavor, and makes you feel good. The harvesting of acai provides a living to a lot of people, and helps to preserve some of the Amazon rainforest. In my mind, that’s more than enough.

Chris Kilham is a medicine hunter who researches natural remedies all over the world, from the Amazon to Siberia. He teaches ethnobotany at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he is Explorer In Residence. Chris advises herbal, cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies and is a regular guest on radio and TV programs worldwide. His field research is largely sponsored by Naturex of Avignon, France. Read more at www.MedicineHunter.com

Santa Barbara Surfers Paddle For A Cause

On May 12, two Santa Barbara surfers fueled by Sambazon Açaí, Nole Cossart and Chadd Konig, set out on a formidable journey to paddle from Gaviota (just north of Santa Barbara) to the Mexico boarder. Their journey, was crafted to raise awareness to the threat development poses to Gaviota – one of the remaining undeveloped and untainted coastlines left in California.

Traveling on paddleboards loaded with food, water, clothing, surfboards and camping gear, Nole and Chadd clocked an average of 15-20 miles per day – and by June 7th, after 300 miles and 28 days on the water) they triumphantly reached their destination at the US-Mexico Boarder.





Here is a sneak peak into Chadd’s journal from the voyage:

5/12/09
Laying upon grassy knoll. Bug just landed on the page. Sun going down behind hill. Wind blowing offshore. Paddle boards tucked away in bushes. This morning we departed from Gaviota now we will sleep at R-Beach. A few seals tagged along a wee bit. Dolphins greeted us at R-Beach. Throughout the day I got to rest me eyes open space and life. Now me belly full, warm clothes on, tarp laid out-sleeping bag as well! Make shift pillow. Water, Knife and thoughts of far off hills. Paddles were plenty today. Sun has lowered behind hills yet still lights the sands. A mushroom shaped piece of wood. Driftwood all over. Silhouettes. Warm hat on me head. Ocean sounds in me ears-will be there all night. Consistent-count on it. Wind is light at moment-cooling me sun warmed face. We arrived today at a beach of smiling folks. Laughs abundant and not a word shared. Eye contact and acknowledgement. Respect and shared space. Island outline. Birds in flight-yes the night! Sand still moving with water and light. Seaweed keeps some of the water glassy. Thank you day.

5/13/09
Woke wet with the sea. On wet grass. Step out of sleeping bag-wet yet warm. Collect all belongings and stuff the dry bag strategically. A wee dog begins barking at me. The ocean is moving in the direction we wish to travel. Southbound. The ocean carries us gently for the first few miles, then wind shifts and blows right as us. Bouncing us. Slowing us. Decide to head inside the kelp in hopes of calmer seas. As I navigated and clawed through the kelp I peeked over at the beach. An invited sight indeed. Dry, warm, rock formation providing a potential home. Turned board to land and beached. Immediately clothed meself, opened food bag and had at some fruit and nuts. Climb on the rocks for a bit-have a short vision a day on this hidden beach, yet decide to head south into the wind. Back in water, dolphins arrive immediately. Seal joins too. Sharing their home. I reach Leadbetter Point and the wind ceases. I look across-Hammonds Reef in sight. I pass the mile out buoy where seals bask in the sun and make seal songs. Next to the buoy are the seals who did not make the seal "buoy cut" or opted to stay in the water. They reach their flippers for the sky. One seal is persistent. Again and again propels itself onto the buoy...falls back, yelps and shamelessly splashes. Dives under, builds speed and has at it again. As I was about out of sight the seal succeeds. Positioned and ready for sun basking. Other seals snap at each other. Then I make a seal noise and they pause. Calm for a moment. Continue paddling and they continue their buoy party. As I pass a large fishing vessel three of the crew look out in my direction. One man, seems to be captain, has a hollar at me. Inquires bout my direction, "Where you headed?" I paddle closer and answer, "That beach over there-then south to the border." He smiles, looks at his crew and offers all his goods. A place to rest, food, beer, cigarette? I thank him and wish them a good day. They all wish me luck. Arrive at Hammonds-greeted again by dolphins. Unload and fill me belly.

For a complete summary of the voyage check out part 1, part II and part III.

2009 Summer Speaker Series at The Ecology Center

Our friends at the San Juan Capistrano Ecology Center are hosting the first ever Summer Speaker Series this summer to address the issue of Basic Needs – food, water, shelter, and clothing. Fulfilling these basic needs has an inherent impact on our communities and environment. Guest speakers will discuss how to make a positive environmental impact in how we choose to live our lives.

This will serve as a forum where the residents of Orange County can explore these crucial topics with cutting-edge thinkers from a variety of backgrounds:

June 18th: Food
Michael Besancon, Whole Foods Market

July 9th: Water
Emily Pilloton, Project H Design

August 13th: Shelter
Matthew Miller, Appropriate Architecture

August 27th: Clothing
Erik Joule, Levi’s
Johnny Schillereff, Element Skateboards
Roian Atwood, Sole Technologies
Derek Sabori, Volcom V.Co-logical Series

Join us for an evening of conversation, 6:30-9PM, wine and beer, and light fare.
Registration for these unique events is $15/members, $25/non-members. Guests can sign up via The Ecology Center's website, or call The Ecology Center at 949.442.4223.

If you’re not able to make this, we encourage you to do a quick google search to find and get involved with a local ecology center near you.

Açaí- a positive force in the Amazon

In 2000 we first experienced Açaí and observed that it had become a huge success within Brazil and was destined for international fame. We also recognizing that this non-timber forest product (NTFP) had the potential to become a sustainable force in the Amazon Rainforest rather than an exploitive industry as countless others had before it (sugarcane, soy). As social entrepreneurs, we set out on a mission to prove the case for sustainable development in the Amazon and founded Sambazon - “Sustainable Management of the Brazilian Amazon”. We developed a Fair Trade “market driven conservation” business model around bringing açaí to the worldwide marketplace that would ensure positive environmental and social development in the açaí harvest regions – thus linking each dollar of sales with economic and environmental gain on the ground, fighting poverty and protecting biodiversity and social justice. We knew that with sound business practices and a lot of hard work, Açaí could be an overwhelmingly positive impact for the local communities and the environment.

Today all of the hundreds of independent family farmers and cooperatives we work with are USDA Organic certified and have been assisted and/or trained in wild crop harvesting to ensure a sustainable source of the fruit. We remain the first and only source of Açaí to be certified Ecocert Fair Trade, providing sustainable employment for over 3,000 people and fostering environmental stewardship on over 1.7 million acres of biodiverse agro-forestry farms in Amapá and Pará States. Both the IEPA (Institute for Environmental Research of Amapá State) and the IBAMA (Brazil's equivalent of the EPA) have officially confirmed that Sambazon’s açaí extraction does not harm the environment.

Sambazon’s efforts in developing industry standards over the years have been felt on a large scale, working directly with the Brazilian authorities on Food Safety and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). This influence has caused significant positive change throughout the entire Açaí supply chain, from the tree to the processing plants to the community at large.

In 2003, as part of our commitment to our mission, Sambazon founded the Sustainable Amazon Partnership (SAP), a public and private collaboration with the Brazil Foundation and the Peabiru Institute to ensure the lasting sustainable management of the Açaí regions and communities in the Amazon. From inception, this organization has been supported by the Nature’s Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund, and through collaboration from its partners, the SAP has been able to add value to the social, environmental, and economic issues for thousands of families and acreage. This has included Açaí training programs, technical assistance, establishment of baseline bio-social indicators for future statistical evaluation, sustainability programs and alternative income generating activities for thousands of woman, youth and small family farmers.

But it’s not just us saying this: Greenpeace, claimed that Açaí may be one of the best ways to "save the rainforest". The Royal Tropical Institute, stated that "Sambazon's work with açaí is aimed to contribute to sustainability in the Amazon Rainforest and alleviate poverty". We also received the 2006 “US Secretary of State Award for Corporate Excellence" from Condoleezza Rice along with the Ashoka Organization’s 2006 Changemakers Innovation Awards: "Market Based Strategies to Benefit Low Income Communities".

We are proud to have built a state of the art Açaí plant in the State of Amapá, which has become the global reference for excellence in Açaí processing. Run by Brazilians, our plant has developed leading edge manufacturing technologies and new açaí products and remains an environmental and industrial relations landmark in the Açaí industry.

Recently, an article was published in the press which irresponsibly suggested that a “Superfood on Oprah (Açaí) was robbing the Amazon poor of their staple”. To the contrary, Açaí has been the source of significant economic gain for the Amazon’s poor family farmers and fortunately when harvested in a way which is consistent with Sambazon’s benchmark industry practices, protects the bio-diversity of the world’s most important source of flora, fauna and scientific potential. It is true that the local price of Açaí has risen over the last 20 years as one might expect when it is “discovered”. But it is also true that 98% of this fruit has been purchased and consumed in Brazil. Further, the increased prices have resulted in a better standard of living and financial freedom to thousands of family farms, not to some multinational. Supporting family farmers while protecting the world’s most important rainforest is what Sambazon’s mission has been all along.

Yesterday, Fox News gave us the opportunity to go on national television and tell the plain facts. I encourage you to check out the segment here and help us spread the word so we can continue to make positive change in the Amazon Rainforest and beyond.

Sincerely,

Ryan Black
Founder and CEO