Latest News & Articles
Argentine Yerba Mate Growers Launch Indefinite Strike Over Producer Prices That Fall Below the Cost of Harvest
In December 2024, yerba mate growers in Misiones launched an indefinite work stoppage, warning that farmgate prices had fallen below the cost of harvest and threatening supply disruptions into early 2025 — though industry officials assured consumers that existing stockpiles would prevent shortages.
Gold vs. Gourd: How Illegal Mining in Paraguay's Paso Yobai Is Poisoning Yerba Mate Fields and Criminalizing the Farmers Fighting Back
In eastern Paraguay, a gold rush has brought cyanide and mercury into the heart of one of the country's most important yerba mate regions. Farmers who protest face criminal charges — and Amnesty International has intervened on behalf of a detained producer leader.
Piporé Yerba Mate Recalled in Iceland After Anthraquinone Pesticide Detected Above EU Safety Limits
Reykjavík Public Health ordered the recall of 250g Piporé Yerba Mate packages sold at a specialty store after laboratory testing found levels of the pesticide anthraquinone — classified as a potential carcinogen by the European Commission — exceeding the EU maximum residue limit.
Argentina's Yerba Mate Crisis: Milei's Deregulation Leaves 13,500 Farmers Below Production Cost
President Milei's elimination of INYM minimum price controls has driven farmgate prices to 180 pesos per kilogram — roughly half the estimated cost of production — triggering an indefinite strike by over 13,500 yerba mate producers in Misiones province.
EU Parliament Debates Novel Food Classification for Yerba Mate Extracts, Industry Warns of Market Disruption
A proposed reclassification could require yerba mate extract products to undergo costly novel food authorization, potentially blocking dozens of brands from European shelves.
Paraguay Moves to Protect 'Yerba Mate Paraguaya' with Geographical Indication Under International Treaty
In a landmark intellectual property move, Paraguay has filed for protected geographical indication status for its yerba mate, arguing that terroir, processing traditions, and indigenous heritage create a product distinct from Argentine and Brazilian variants.