Teecino

One morning in 1993 award-winning tea designer, Caroline MacDougall, awoke from a dream with a compelling vision to create a bold, robust brew from roasted herbs. She even dreamed the name of it would be Teeccino. Propelled by her own sensitivity to caffeine and acidity, Caroline designed Teeccino to satisfy both coffee and tea drinkers alike with its rich, full body and its many health benefits. Now years later, Teeccino is the #1 brand of coffee alternatives and the premier line of roasted herbal teas with over 35 organic and gluten-free blends. Often people ask, is it coffee or is it tea? The answer is simple—it’s Teeccino!

Beyond Fair Trade, Creating New Trade

Teecino recognized the trade for commodities like coffee and tea have been built on the exploitation of impoverished people without labor rights or worker protection laws by large and owners. In contrast, in the herbal world, harvesting wild herbs is a time-honored tradition that people do for additional income. Teecino’s founder, Caroline, established New trade in botanicals which provides income to rural communities where opportunities, especially for women, are scarce. In addition to fair trade and new trade practices, they are dedicated to organic certifications and the impact it has on their consumers and partners. By promoting and training people to use organic agricultural techniques, exposure to harmful chemicals has been eliminated and the overall health of their farming families has benefited exponentially.

Rebuilding Rainforests Through Innovation

Teeccino’s work with wild-harvested ramón seeds collected in nine villages within the Maya Biosphere Reserve provides both income and food while preserving the forest canopy. They understand that rainforest preservation depends on finding ways for people to derive sustainable income that is compatible with the forest in which they live. They know that impoverished people don’t have the luxury of waiting for new sources of income to be developed. Food and medicine are necessities that can’t be postponed until tomorrow. They believe that solutions have to give immediate returns. The development of the ramón seeds has not only helped rebuild rainforests but rebuild the lives of those who consume it.