Sambazon - THE - source for quality Acai
With the popularity of Acai it seems like new companies are coming
out of the woodwork everyday, claiming to supply quality Acai products. Sambazon on
the other hand was the first company to export Acai from Brazil and remains the
world leader in quality, and socially responsible, acai.
What is Sambazon?
In 1999, two surfers from California , Ryan Black and Ed Nichols, went down to
Brazil for some surfing and a millennium celebration. While in Brazil they
tried Acai and were immediately hooked. They loved the taste and the energy boost.
They knew that if Acai could be exported out of the Amazon Rainforest it would
have vast appeal. By early 2000, Black and Nichols had
formed their company - Sambazon.
Sambazon started out by securing exclusive U.S. distribution with the main
açaí processing factories in Brazil in exchange for a percentage of profits
dedicated to rain-forest protection. Sambazon became the first company to
import certified Organic Acai into the USA. Sambazon pioneered the first of
its kind Fair Trade and Certified Organic supply chain of Acai which benefits
thousands of local families and protects the biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest
through sustainable agriculture.
Simply put, Sambazon ensures that the indigenous people of the Amazon Rainforest receive a fair wage, that
they can live on, by harvesting Acai and that all harvesting is done in a sustainable manner.
Did we mention… Sambazon is also trying to save the planet?
We have been so busy telling you all about the health properties of Acai that we have
overlooked one little point - eating Sambazon Acai may save the planet! Okay, we are taking
a little literary license here - eating Acai will not save the planet, but we do feel any company that
is working to protect the Amazon Rainforest is doing its part to make the planet a better place.
Black and Nichols were excited about the prospect of making a living by
bringing Acai to the US, however, it was the environmental aspect
of Acai that really thrilled them. As you are no doubt aware, the Amazon
rainforest is being destroyed at an alarming rate. The people of the Amazon have
had to resort to chopping down trees to sell for lumber to survive. It seemed like the
views of environmentalists (to save trees) was in direct contrast with the
economic realities of the region - selling lumber was the only business in town.
Acai has completely changed the economic landscape in the Amazon Rainforest. Sambazon
has agreed to pay a Fair price for local farmers to harvest Acai berries (which does no
harm to the trees). Sambazon is a member of the Fair Trade Federation (http://www.fairtradefederation.org) and has a Fair Trade
supply chain, which means they pay a price for Acai that ensures the locals can live on the wages from
harvesting Acai. In fact, Sambazon often pays double what other companies do for Acai - because
they are not just concerned with their bottom line, they are also concerned about the
sustainability of the Amazon.
Is Sambazon's model of Fair Trade and Sustainability working?
Oh Yes! Residents of the Amazon Rainforest can actually make more money by harvesting Acai
than by selling the trees as lumber. This is so amazing to us, we will say it again - it
is more PROFITABLE for locals to maintain the trees in the Amazon Rainforest
than it is to chop down the trees and sell the wood. There is no longer a division
between environmentalist and capitalist - Sambazon made them one in the same.
You don't need to take our word for it - just ask Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. On
November 6, 2006 Sambazon won the Secretary of State's 2006 Award for Corporate
Excellence (ACE). At the award ceremony Condoleezza Rice
had this to say…
"Sambazon is an outstanding example of the positive impact that a small company
can make to the economy, the environment and the society of its host country," said Condoleezza Rice, U.S.
Secretary of State at the 2006 A.C.E. Ceremony. "Sambazon was selected for efforts to
promote sustainable development in the Brazilian Rainforest, while improving the
conditions of indigenous people through creative marketing of the açaí fruit."
We have to say, having positive quotes from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice really
blew us away. We deal with a lot of ingredient companies and have never dealt
with one which has had such universal praise.
I love saving the planet, but does Sambazon have the highest quality Acai?
Absolutely. In Oct 2006, Sambazon opened the world's largest proprietary acai manufacturing
facility in the Amazon. Sambazon is now a vertically integrated supplier of Açaí products, controlling
every step of the manufacturing process to ensure sustainable and organic origin of the
fruit as well as the quality, nutrition and taste.
Sambazon Freeze Dried Acai powder tests out at an ORAC value of 50,000 per 100 grams. This is
over 50 times higher than most of their competition.
Every Acai supplier likes to talk about how Dr. Perricone named Acai the #1 Superfood
in his book, The Perricone Promise (a New York Times No. 1 Bestseller ). Other suppliers will
also talk about how the Oprah Winfrey show did a piece on Dr. Perricone and his
recommendation of Acai. What other suppliers fail to mention is that Dr. Perricone
picked Sambazon as the premier source for purchasing acai, due to
the purity and high concentration of acai in Sambazon's products.
Need more proof Sambazon Acai is high quality? Read what some of the
top media outlets
are saying about Sambazon.
Recap:
If you are looking for quality Acai, you want Sambazon Acai. If you are looking for a
company that is having a positive impact on the environment and the planet, you
want Sambazon Acai. If you like the idea of a couple of surfers starting a company and
then 6 years later hanging out with Condoleezza Rice in Washington, DC - you will love Sambazon.
Clearly, we love Acai and more specifically we love everything about Sambazon Acai. The only
question left - what supplement contains Sambazon Acai at a fair price? Perfect Acai™ - and we talk about it here…
and Anthocyanins
