Today’s guest is Jorge Lopez-Doriga, Chief Sustainability Officer for AMARUMAYU, a movement born at the heart of the Amazon Jungle to protect its precious forest and empower its guardians through the commercialization of Amazonian superfruit juices. Jorge joins Christine from Lima, Peru to discuss his passion for protecting the earth, redirecting his life’s work and focus from marketing to sustainability in 2014, and the undeniable connection between our bodies and the universe - by protecting one, you are protecting the other.

Jorge explains the origins of the AMARUMAYU movement, the meaning behind its name, and the goals of the company. He details the four intricate symbols in their powerful logo, and how they come together to represent living in harmony with our environment. You’ll also hear about the extraordinary nutritional value of Amazonian superfruits, such as the Buriti and Camu Camu, the “ Natural Revolution,” which aims to transform people into more conscious consumers, and Jorge’s advice to help younger generations become more aware of how to protect Mother Nature. Christine asks Jorge about the important role women play as leaders in the Amazon community, how the evolution of technology is affecting its local workers, his biggest challenges coming from the Zen community and moving those values over to his mission with AMARUMAYU, as well as his most fulfilling moments on this journey.

If we could all bottle up just a speckle of Jorge's energy and dedication towards such an important cause, we would all be in a better place by putting our Mother Nature's needs first. To learn more about AMARUMAYU’s mission to protect biodiversity, empower Indigenous people, and restore equilibrium to our planet, visit AMARUMAYU.com.

For more information, and other episodes on companies and entrepreneurs who give back, please visit TheGiveBackModel.com. That’s where you can also let Christine know about companies you’ve found that give back, and check out The Give Back Model merchandise, where $5 for every sale goes to charity. Thanks for listening!

Episode Highlights:

• Jorge has always been passionate about protecting the earth
• He also has a background in marketing; he redirected his life and focus on sustainability in 2014
• AMARUMAYU is the real name of the Amazon - it means the “river serpent,” and the serpent represents life and wisdom
• The logo includes an Indigeneous person (the true guardian of the Amazon), the fruits of the Amazon, a snake (again, life and wisdom), and a heart (the spirit of harmony and collaboration)
• Their product is a nonalcoholic superfruit beverage
• Superfruits have a much higher concentration of vitamins and minerals than other fruits like oranges
• The new Natural Revolution aims to shift the way people consume, and transform them into more conscious users
• The three questions conscious users ask themselves are: Is it good for me and my health? Is it good for the environment? Is it good for society?
• In the Industrial Revolution, companies were only concerned with whether they were satisfying the needs of their customers
• With the new Natural Revolution, companies also need to satisfy the needs of Mother Earth
• AMARUMAYU superfruit juices are good for the earth and good for you - no sugar or artificial colors
• They buy directly from Indigeneous communities who harvest these superfruits in the middle of the Amazon
• It’s not agriculture, it’s wild harvesting
• It’s important for younger generations to know that the actions of one single person can have an impact
• Use your purchasing power to give back and contribute
• Women have always been leaders in the Amazon community, and they are typically more connected to nature than men
• The market economy has arrived in the Amazon, and the workers there want to embrace technology and generate income, but still protect their precious natural resources
• It takes a great deal of time and care to build relationships with the Indigeneous communities
• It is also very fulfilling to be able to work with them, help bring a fair trade to the community, and provide a stable source of income
• AMARUMAYU is supported through the British government
• They make sure to only be involved with efforts that do not cut down trees, as the superfruit palm tree is the tree of life
• What we can expect to come from AMARUMAYU
• Remember that we can all have an impact, and to connect with nature on a daily basis 

Quotes:

“I’ve been fascinated by nature since I was a kid. I mean, it's always been my mission to protect this beautiful earth.”

“Marketing is very important for sustainability. Because if sustainability doesn't come with financial incentive behind it, then it is not sustainable. Everything needs to be economically reliable in order to be sustainable.”

“A very important thing you realize is that the whole universe is your body.”

“It is the goal of this company, it is to do what is in our hands to preserve this precious place on Earth.”

“In the Amazon, everything is about the spirit of collaboration. You have a community that is an Indigenous community, but the community extends to all plants and fish and all animals.”

“In the Amazon we have to convince the world that the green gold has much more value than the yellow gold or the black gold.” 

“That's why it's called a superfruit, because we got everything in one single fruit.”

 “The new natural revolution has a new type of relation to what people consume, and they become conscious users.”

“There are three questions: Is it good for me? Is it good for my health? Is it natural? Number two, is it good for the environment? And number three, is it good for society?”

“During the Industrial Revolution, the company's role was to satisfy the needs of the consumer. That was it. And in the Natural Revolution, it has to be to satisfy the needs of Mother Earth.”

“Our final stockholder is Mother Earth.”

“It is not agriculture, it is wild harvesting.”

“We are hooked to the artificial intelligence. And our source of information is artificial intelligence. But if the Indigenous community wants to know something about something, they ask the plants… They are hooked to natural intelligence.”

“It's a beautiful project because it has many challenges in all areas, in the supply and demand. And then also trying to tell the world about this new Natural Revolution, and try to change the habits of people about the way they consume things, and...their relationship with Mother Earth.”

“The most fulfilling part is to be able to contribute, to see how these communities are now having a fair trade, receiving this income in a continuous manner, improving the lifestyle.”

“It is also beautiful because it's not only the harvesting of the fruits - it is the transport of these fruits, and turning these into pulp. And all of this is done locally. And therefore you can see how all these communities are developed, they are becoming entrepreneurs of protecting the jungle.”

“Your impact is going to be big. Don't think your impact is small. Whatever you do is going to contribute. And be a conscious user and not a consumer.

“Try in your daily life, to connect to the natural intelligence, instead of the all the time in the artificial intelligence. Try to connect with yourself. Try to take three big breaths and look within.”

Links:

The Give Back Model website TheGiveBackModel.com

 Follow The Give Back Model on Instagram @thegivebackmodel

 AMARUMAYU website AMARUMAYU.com