Permatree Superfoods Ecuador

Jago born 12.01.1980 in Switzerland. Left Switzerland back in 2014. Now since 2016 creating PERMATREE Finca Yantza holistic tropical fruit farm. Since August 2019 purpose and value driven passionate regenerative entrepreneur creating PERMATREE SUPERFOODS. Passion: regenerative disruption by applying innovation processes to create a better world in the future. Experienced and passionate digital marketing ambassador. In the digital health, beauty industry, soft and hardware industry. With SME experience and also Fortune 500 companies in Switzerland. Focused on innovation in e-commerce, marketing and communication. He graduated from SAE as Multimedia Producer in 1999 and in 2009 from SAWI as Web Project Manager. Since 1999 he has been working in various Internet marketing agencies in Basel and Zurich mainly as Web-Designer and Flash Developer. And as PM and Web-Specialist for international in-house marketing departments as IBM or Marionnaud Switzerland / A.S. Watson in Zurich. 

Permatree Superfoods creates added value superfoods from local: dehydrated seda banana and orito banana, turmeric powder, soursop, guayusa leaf teas, coffee & bamboo. Export to the EU market in Q1 2021. For this we are building a processing plant for dehydration of tropical fruits, seeds and vegetables.

Transformation of territory. Social, environmental and economic enhancing. Work throughout the value chain with transparency with direct and indirect actors. Focused on: beneficial health properties, local multicultural identity and re-generation of mega biodiversity.

Focused on promoting the production of the raw material with 400 producing families. From micro-lots of unique-origin from the southern territories of the Ecuadorian Amazon. We go beyond the organic. Totally transparent process from seed to value-added. Without agrochemicals: zero pesticides, zero herbicides and zero chemical fertilizers.

Communicating clearly and precisely to help the final consumers, to make an educated decision at the time of the purchase of the superfood.

1. We have been inspired into the creation of PermaTree Superfoods in November 2019 because of the need of real income for the producing families in territories of the southern Ecuadorian Amazon.
   
   Solution - Creating new markets outside of the producing territories by transforming the raw material into added value products enables us to pay up to 4x more to the producing farm family which makes agriculture again a viable economic option.

1. The lack of transparency of “organic’ certified products in first world markets.
   
   Solution - Be transparent like never before. Make all relevant Information available via personal smartphone. Totally transparent process from seed to value-added superfoods. Without agrochemicals. Nutritional, price, environmental and health information.

We create value for small farm families within our neglected territory in the south east amazon. There is no such thing as waste. We waste no resource. For example. The organic fruit "waste" is used to feed the biodigestor to create methan gas and liquid-biol which is used as fertilizer for the tropical polyculture crops. By creating new market exporting the superfoods in added value superfoods we can pay up to 3 times more to the producing small farm families. This brings back the value to farm to the community. 

QR-code on added value product to retrieve all relevant Information available directly via personal smartphone. Short 60 Seconds product process video, photos and text. Information about producing farm family location and environment. Lab test regarding food quality, etc. For every product a own landing page.

Focused on promoting the production of the raw material with 400 producing families. Focused on micro lots of unique origin from the southern territories of the Ecuadorian Amazon. We go beyond the organic. Totally transparent process from seed to value-added superfoods. Without agrochemicals.

Communicating clearly and precisely to help final consumers, to make an educated decision at the time of the purchase of the superfood.

Two important areas such as SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE and FOOD TRANSFORMATION. Since in the southern region of the Ecuadorian Amazon, there are approximately 250K inhabitants, with an area of 36,246 km2, mostly inhabited by the Shuar-indigenous, Achuar-indigenous, Saraguro-indigenous, Afro-Ecuadorian, Mestizos and a few foreigners. Water tributaries with the Zamora River, Nangaritza, Morona that are an essential part of the great Amazon Basin. 

The Podocarpus National Park and the El Cóndor Biological Reserve are also located, where flora and fauna has a great risk of extinction, due to the presence of mining transnationals that maintain 40% of the territory under mining-concessions, performing open pit mining, underground mining and artesanal with almost no Environmental remedy and little control of the governing bodies of the public sector.

Focused on promoting the production of the raw material with 400 producing families. Focused on micro lots of unique origin from the southern territories of the Ecuadorian Amazon. We go beyond the organic. Totally transparent process from seed to value-added superfoods. Without agrochemicals.

Zamora-Chinchipe region has the worst education index nation wide. Very bad health service. There are many social and economic issues beside the very obvious continuous environmental damage.

Regenerative Transformation: With PERMATREE SUPERFOODS we create a HUGE positive territorial impact which can then be compared to the negative extraction and destructive impact of the mining conglomerates. 

PERMATREE SUPERFOODS will inspire the hearts and minds of others local and possible external entrepreneurs to create something in a territory which such a huge amount of existing potential. We are a radically diverse team. Walter and Danny are from the Zamora-Chinchipe province in Ecuador. Im born Swiss but now living expat in also in the Zamora-Chinchipe province exactly because of all the existing potential there is. 

We are three passionate entrepreneurs from Switzerland and Ecuador, living in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Together we have international experience in organic, holistic production, transparency, process standardization, socio-organizational work, entrepreneurship, export, e-commerce, communication and digital marketing.

We are currently in the execution of the following operation, agriculture of fruits, seeds and tropical vegetables. Beyond just organic certification. With tropical permaculture and a holistic approach. We are located in a high-risk area, due to the presence of large-scale mining, small-scale mining and artisanal mining, by transnationals organizations and local individuals. 

Our goal is to be free of the mining industry. 

We will create a free-of-mining logo to communicate on our added value superfoods. We have been inspired into the creation of PermaTree Superfoods in November 2019 because of the need of real income for the producing families in territories of the southern Ecuadorian Amazon. 

All tree of us live here in Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador and we would like to see it prosper and not to be destroyed by the mining industry.

We care the small farming families because we too have a small farm. We care about the consumers because we too care about healthy foods for a healthy body. We care about high quality nutrition.

I have settled here in 2016 after seeking for 2 years where to settle and start a tropical farm. Now "Finca Yantza" is one of its own tropical permaculture examples. Its literal transformation from degraded pasture soil to abundant tropical fruit production. Its about bringing inspiration to the people that anyone can do anything if only they believe that they can and have a clear goal. We also have been experimenting on finca Yantza with different types of tropical steep hill farming agriculture and Agroforestry. We have planted over 2500 fruit trees so far. Our latest experiment is a so called “Adaptive Contour Access Path (ACAP)” for Steep Hill Agroforestry in the wet tropics. The first external farming family has started to work  according to our experience and learnings just one month ago. 

Since 2016 we have been able to start with a small pilot reforestation project (1000 bamboo plants so far) with BAMBOO at finca Yantza (80 has). Which has improved erosion control, protection of water micro-basins, nitrogen fixation, re-activation of microorganisms in the soil, control barrier for cross contamination for crops, increased flora and fauna biodiversity, water purification, 35% more oxygen production compared to the average trees and carbon sequestration. 

Created a prototype installation of a anaerobic Bio-digester, which allows us to take advantage of the unused organic matter generated in the tropical polyculture crops and our own kitchen food scraps, which after the anaerobic transformation process, produce liquid biol, fixed organic matter and methane gas, which serves to improve the growth of plants planted in poor soil which we have in the region. Most existing local farms are steep hill micro-farm family operated agriculture with in average poor organic matter on the soil.  

With bioengineering designs for wet-tropics we implemented the perennial grass vetiver in conjunction of perennial peanut. Both the vetiver and the perennial peanut do not reproduce by seed; therefore, they can't be carried by birds or wildlife or transported in plant material to unintended areas. To control the existing erosion of steep hill farming in a environment with extreme tropical rain showers. Both of them help with the reactivation of microorganisms of poor soil. And work also as nitrogen fixer for the soil. We also use the vetiver as mulching to rebuild organic matter of the soil. 

I left Switzerland in summer 2014 and started seeking for a place to start PERMATREE first in Paraguay. This with a idea of permaculture and motivation to build something from scratch. After about 6 month of exploration I went to Bolivia. After further 12 month of exploration I went to Colombia to 3 regions to explore how things are but allready with a much clearer picture of the ideal place than when I first started in Paraguay. After 3 month in Colombia I started exploring Ecuador. This is when I realized that it had definitively potential. And even more in the amazon region which is extremely sub developed. And is one of the most mega bio diverse regions of the planet. In conclusion this process was overcoming one adversity after another. Different culture. Extreme different climate. Different social situations. I had to learn all from scratch. The biggest challenge was to understand the different mindset and then I began seeing so many oportunities. And learning about what I care most about other people which are the values they care for. This now key fore me.

Together we have very extensive experience in organic production, socio-organizational work, marketing of Amazonian products with international clients, participation in national fairs, marketing of international luxury brands in first world markets. Walter Villacis had a very first idea of the project in 2011 regarding dehydrating tropical fruits. Then 2016 and 2017 Walter Villacis and Danny Carrillo where part of the initial idea and the construction of the ROLDEG operation and dedicated to dehydrating fruits and exporting added value products. 2017 Jago Veith started selling raw materials from Finca Yantza, such as cacao beans to APEOSAE where Walter Villacis was the General Manager. In jan 2019 Walter Villacis, Danny Carrillo and Jago Veith had a initial meeting regarding joining forces. We figured that all 3 of us share the common goal of bringing back real value to the producing families in territories. And the lack of transparency of “organic’ certified products in first world markets. Knowing the potential of the southern region of the Ecuadorian Amazon. And all of those real superfoods which are endemic to this region and not well known outside. This is why we focus on SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE and FOOD TRANSFORMATION within territory - of the Ecuadorian Amazon.

November 2019: Constitution of PERMATREE SUPERFOODS S.A., as a corporation, registered and regulated by the SUPERINTENDENCIA DE COMPAÑÍAS in Ecuador.

PERMATREE SUPERFOODS is not just innovative. Because Innovation is rather a rapid evolutionary process. But disruption on the other hand is a innovative processes that does not happen overnight and thus is more a long term approach which at the end completely changes the existing reality. This changes reality for local small farming families and their social entourage. Farming will be a option again. Was not a option now. We can  duplicate this operation in any other territory. Once its rolling we can keep on innovating with other tropical humid crops which grow here like bamboo for food and beverages. Also Jackfruit and Breadfruit. There is currently no such operation on the entire planet. 

Everything is interconnected. Once PERMATREE SUPERFOODS is rolling we can start with other linked projects such as education. And holistic tourism which are strongly linked to the PERMATREE SUPERFOODS small farming family network. Also more than just organic crops and tourism will motivate local small farming family to also create conservation areas on there farm and reforest with bamboo like we do on FINCA YANTZA. Then again also the small farming family will start having a healthy diet. This is no the case today. 

Direct: 88 small family farms. About 40 persons within transformation operation plant, office and coffee-shop / co-working space. End of 2021 we will have 400 small family farms working with PERMATREE SUPERFOODS within Zamora-Chinchipe and Morona Santiago province of Ecuador.

Positive environmental impact, where agroforestry food production and reforestation will all enrich each other. SDG1 “Poverty” IMPACT: improving the economic income of the producing families paying 4 times more. SDG2 “Hunger” IMPACT: revive 400 Shuar, Aschuar, Saraguro & Afro Ecuadorian and mestizo producing farm families. SDG6 "Water and Sanitation" IMPACT: identification and reforestation with bamboo to protect all micro basins within the 400 farms of the producing families. SDG7 “Energy” IMPACT: Construction of biodigesters to obtain biogas (methane) for the processing plant. In addition, the biodigester also produces liquid biol which is used to strengthen the crops. Build 100 biodigesters on the farms of the producing families. All fruit peels will be used for the anaerobic biodigester: input 75’000kg monthly organic shell for anaerobic biodigester. SDG12 “Responsible production and consumption” IMPACT: Agricultural production and transformation of endemic local raw materials, zero pesticides, free of mining, which results in a healthy, regenerative and socially responsible production & consumption. SDG13 “Climate” IMPACT: Strengthen the resilience in the 400 farms of the productive farming families, with 100K bamboo reforestation, polyculture crops of fruits endemic to the microclimate and bioengineering with vetiver, perennial peanut for microorganism activation, erosion control and nitrogen fixing. SDG15 “Ecosystems” IMPACT: Bamboo reforestation, all production is deforestation- free. Enhancing mega biodiversity, flora and fauna endemic to the farms of the producing families. CO2, 1 bamboo plant captures approx. 1 ton of co2 per year. Each family estimated to capture 250 plants x 400 fam =100K tons of coal per year.

Find further financial funding to obtain machinery for transformation process after construction and certifying the transformation plant of PERMATREE SUPERFOODS.

Socialization. Compete in international challenges for funding.

None yet.

Raw material from by the producing families in territory will represent 20% of the value. Transforming into added-value products in our processing plant will be no greater than 20%. Participation in national & int. fairs will be our window to expose & achieve commercial agreements. Where the product portfolio will be exposed. Where we will generate trust of our customers who will have a participation of 25% in the business value. Our purpose is regenerative & holistic, in the 3 key areas, such as the environment, social and economic, where we will reinvest 35% value. One container every month min. 25,000 kg (300K units of 80 g products) value-added superfoods with packaging and brand. Our total production cost in territory per container is max. $180K  FOB price ($ 1.20 x 300) $360K CIF-price negotiation at the port of final destination ($ 1.40 x 300) $420K FOB-price 360-180 = $180K CIF-price 420-180 = $240K Marketing strategy PERMATREE, with the technical support of our partners, PROECUADOR Y FEDEXPORT, will develop a plan for the promotion and commercialization of dehydrated fruits with organic certification, holistic production & deforestation-free territories in the EU market. FUNDS For the expected activities and results of the PERMATREE SUPERFOODS project, we need an investment of EUR 1,180M Constitution of the structures of the processing plant. EUR 180K Equipment of the processing plant. EUR 150K Certification BPM / HACCP. EUR 25,000 Product development packaging, mkt and export EUR 80K Working capital for 1 month per container max. EUR 180K 

We have raised funds for construction so far 150K USD debt.

(1) Find further financial funding to obtain machinery for transformation process after construction and certifying the transformation plant of PERMATREE SUPERFOODS.

(2) Solve a very bold problem. No more value of small farming families and the disappearing of farmers in rural south america due to lack of real  income. So far all solution have been make-up / marketing solutions fo so called "FAIR TRADE" etc. 5 to 15 cents more will not make a difference. The food we need can be produced only by huge industrial organizations. The quality always suffers and the profit remains the only focus instead of quality.

(3) Help to establish PERMATREE SUPERFOODS operation with the support of "The Elevate Prize".

(4) This would also help to recruit the needed talent faster than currently.