Story is provided by A Greater Gift which is a program of SERRV International, a nonprofit organization with nearly 60 years of experience trading in a way that benefits everyone involved.

Story:

Opportunity grows on trees in Ecuador’s rainforest. The Yurac-Muyo artisans living and working in Quito’s El Recreo neighborhood have found new opportunity in the seeds of the tagua fruit. The fruit, which looks like pineapple, is a renewable resource from the Amazon rainforest. Tagua seeds are bought from local harvesters after they have been removed from the fruit. They are cleaned and dyed with natural herbs, and then polished and crafted into jewelry. Tagua seeds are also called vegetable ivory because of their strength and durability.

Today the five family members who make up the Yurac-Muyo group in Ecuador are helping to sustain their way of life, the lives of the tagua harvesters, and the rainforest.