Kategorie: Meta Meditation & Philosphy

It’s 5pm on a chilly July evening in Barao de Cotegipe. Although the sun is setting, and the company is getting ready to close for the day, the machines in the upper part of the factory are still in full motion. Winter is the main season for harvesting Mate, and during the period, the machines run non-stop from Monday morning to Friday evening, with the production line working in shifts.

The Mate leaves begin to enter the drying machine at 10pm that night and will spend the night going through a 5 layer air drying process that lasts about 5-6 hours.

There are only 2 mate companies in the country that have such an extensive air drying machine with 5 layers. The supervisor on duty occasionally inspects the status of the mate at various steps of the drying process to make sure that everything is running smoothly.

At dawn the next day, the factory is very quiet when we came to see the 23 coming out of the drying machine. However, we were not the only ones there so early in the morning. Sergio is always at the company at 6.30am.

For those of you who are curious about the history of Meta Mate 23, please refer to these older articles about this product.

The Gaucho often allures to cradling the sensuous curves of the cuia in his hand as a highlight in the mate drinking experience. Although in Europe, we often recommend our locally crafted ceramic and glass cuias due to their neutral taste and ease when it comes to cleaning and drying, we are aware that Sterile European Food and Safety regulations are not for all.

We believe in building long term relationships with our suppliers and for a number of years, Meta Mate has sourced it’s cuias from Jadi Cuias, a Cooperative in South Brasil. This family run business that was started over 20 years ago by Valeria Trevisol and her husband Jadi, is well known in the region for their sustainable production and high quality

As with many of our local partners, Valeria and Jadi are proud of their Gaucho culture and keen on promoting and perserving this heritage. From caring for the planting and cultivation of the calabasa up to the lazer printing, similar to our craft mates, the whole process from calabasa to cuia is carried out by this cooperative.

Today Valeria and Jadi cannot handle everything by themselves and rely on the support of their co-workers to ensure the quality of the cuias.

Sustainability is an important part of the business. Today most of the machines in the cuia producing premises are run on solar energy.

The most precious thing about what we do with mate is the exchange that we are able to have between consumers and producers and learn from each others cultures and experiences. Tiago Gehm joined us on this visit to Trevisol as he has recently started to make his own wooden cuias, and he was able to take a look at the production facilities (Moonshine Mate Maker Tiago Gehm pictured with Cuia Producer Valeria Trevisol)

Our next shipment from Brasil will include some new varities of Cuias from Trevisol as well as some of Tiago’s special wooden creations.

Mate is more than just a drink. It’s a way of life that breaks hierarchical structures creating a circular communal culture. Communication and community are the foundation stones of Mate philosophy and these sharing and caring aspects are not only found amongst the drinkers, they are an integral way of life amongst the makers.

Barâo Erva Mate is a household name in South Brazil; their colorful vacuum packed mates dominate shelves across the country and locally as well as internationally they are renowned for their high quality fresh green mates. For the Gaucho abroad, a package of Barâo is a guarantee that they will encounter the flavors of their homeland.

Founded in 1951 by Etelvino Picolo, a pioneer who followed his dreams this family run business carries his tradition and vision further as it enters the third generation. The plaque under Sr. Picolo’s statue in the town square of Barâo de Cotegiepe eulogizes him as a devoted father an honorable leader and hard worker with an innovative eye who always sought union, harmony and joy. He lived by the motto that the biggest risk in life is to do nothing, and he put his energy into creating a Mate empire.

His values have been passed down, Sergio Picolo, shares his father’s humility and granddaughter Ana Paula Picolo is prepared to take this vision further. Arriving in Cotegipe on one of the coldest nights in the past 50 years, we were greeted by at the gate by Sergio, (who is often the first and last person to leave the factory).

Although we were invited to dinner at his home across the road, he was insistent on first dropping the company driver at home, so that he would not have to walk in the cold. Sitting in the office and taking executive decisions might be part of Sergio’s responsibilities but he is also there when needed to supervise the unloading of a truck in the middle of the night or as he shared to help a driver to wash one as he had done earlier that day.

The next morning, although it was a Saturday, Ana Paula was at the factory at 7.30am to meet us and plan our next export……….

Flying into the main Brasilian Airport in Sao Paulo is a delight for Mate fans. After spending a sleepless night cramped in small seats in a full flight it was a relief to land (despite the fact that it was 4am) and finally stretch our legs.

Finally, it is possible to go through security checks with Green Herb and Bomb(a)s in your bag and not be considered a terrorist. You won’t be glared at by the waitress when you ask for your thermos to be filled up with hot water. You will not be made to empty out all liquids from your thermos before flying. And just in case you have a few hours to spare in the airport, tucked away in Terminal 3 is Mate’s answer to fast food coffee chains.

Rei do Mate could be compared to McDonalds or Starbucks, except the menu is largely based on Mate. Although the first location was opened 40 years ago and there are now over 300 outlets across the country, Rei do Mate has managed to keep a low profile.

From Mate Lattes, to smoothies, to chilled mate on the taps, the menu at Rei do Mate is filled with several options for mate fans. And in case you are a purist but your mate is not, no worries, unlike a certain bar in Berlin, Rei do Mate does serve coffee, green tea and has several snacks. Personally we enjoy the Acai Mate Smoothie and a cup of Pao de Queijo!

Meta Mate Berlin und Mate e.V. möchten das Bewußtsein des ökologischen Fußabdrucks des Matekonsums fördern, um sowohl Verbraucher als auch Hersteller über die verschiedenen Varianten zu informieren.

Es gibt verschiedene Quellen von Mateblättern, sowie auch verschiedene Möglichkeiten, sie in Südamerika zu trocknen und verschiedene Möglichkeiten, sie in der ganzen Welt zu konsumieren: jede mit ihren Vor- und Nachteilen. Um unseren Geschäfts- und Verbrauchspartnern einen aktuellen Vergleich über die Optionen anbieten zu können, suchen wir Studierende und/oder Institutionen, die eine akademische Forschung über den ökologischen Fußabdruck der Mate-Produktion in Südamerika und den Konsum von Mate in Deutschland durchführen. Es gibt bisher nur eine Studie, die uns bekannt ist, die die ökologische Auswirkungen der Mate-Produktion untersucht hat: “Luz, Moisés da Carijos e Barbaquás no Rio Grande do Sul : resistência camponesa e conservação ambiental no âmbito da fabricação artesanal de erva-mate / Moisés da Luz. ! Porto Alegre, 2011. UFRGS , CDU 316.343.633″.

Unsere Vorstellung ist, der Studentin oder dem Studenten die Durchführung der Studie mit 1.000 € zu vergüten. Sollte eine Reise nach Brasilien notwendig sein, um die Studie vor Ort durchzuführen, können wir gerne Unterkunft und Transport organisieren.

Wir haben Kontakt mit Unternehmen, die die Mateblätter in Südamerika produzieren und mit Unternehmen, die Mate-Limonaden in Deutschland herstellen.

Als Leitfaden für die Studie folgen hier einige Varianten die bei der Berechnung des ökologischen Fußabdrucks zu berücksichtigen sind:

Mate Produktion

Der Mate-Anbau:

a) Monokultur (typisch für Mate aus Argentinien)

b) Agroforstwirtschaft und Permakultur (ein sehr kleiner Anteil der Kulturen von Mate)

c) Wildwuchs (in Brasilien noch zu 80 %)

Die Trocknung des Mates:

a) mit Eukalyptus oder mit Holz aus der Forstwirtschaft (oft von großen oder mittleren Unternehmen oder Bauern verwendet)

b) mit Eukalyptus-Pellets (große Unternehmen)

c) mit Strom oder Gas aus Erneuerbaren Energien (Biogasanlage)

Mate-Transport:

a) Inland (innerhalb Südamarikas)

b) Übersee (nach Europa)

MATE-KONSUM (in Südamerika und Europa)

a) Als Limonade; zu berücksichtigen sind die Produktion und der Transport.

b) Als Aufguss; zu berücksichtigen sind die Verpackung, der Vertrieb und die Erhitzung des Wassers.

Eine offene Frage ist, ob neben der Untersuchung des ökologischen Fußabdrucks ein davon unabhängiger Vergleich der hydrologischen, ethnologischen und sozialen Auswirkungen der Eukalyptus-Produktion erfolgen sollte?

Wenn Sie uns mit dieser akademischen Studie helfen möchten, würden wir uns freuen! Bitte schreiben Sie an fabricio@metamate.cc mit dem Betreff MateFootPrint und ich werde Ihnen gerne eine Rückmeldung geben.