We appreciate eco-aware clients, and we thank you for the opportunity to explain more and educate the community about our practice and values.
Fresh Jagua began operating in 2009 and today, we are located in Hollywood, Florida. It is here that we receive our raw materials, and it is also where we produce all of our products.
A while back, we sourced Jagua from Puerto Rico from a single supplier. When our volumes were small, this arrangement worked, but as we grew, we struggled to find enough fruits year-round to meet demand. Because we are not located in Puerto Rico, it was challenging for us to ensure our supply chain worked as we wanted it to – fairly and safely. This led us to move most of our business from Puerto Rico to many countries around the globe. We even harvest here in the U.S.! (Yes, there is Jagua here, too)! The world is big and we found many places where Jagua is abundant. Jagua is being used in many countries in many ways: edible fruit, liquor ingredient, food colorant, cosmetic products and of course, tattoo ink. Still, in many countries, it receives minimal interest by customers as its unique taste and properties are not for everyone.. You’ll also be surprised to know that there are places in the world where it's being sold in supermarkets, just next to apples and lemons.
One reason why we find it critical to rely on many suppliers is the devastation that Hurricane Maria caused in Puerto Rico in 2017. This deadly event left the island in havoc. In terms of
agriculture overall and Jagua specifically, almost nothing was left. If Puerto Rico was still our only supply source, we could have easily gone out of business. Sourcing fruits from around the world helped us stay in business and this is still our method of operation today.
We have many suppliers; some are lot owners; some are private individuals with several trees. We buy from at least three indigenous tribes. We pay all of our supplier’s market value – the standard local wholesale price for high-quality Jagua fruits. As we have no real power in those markets, we have no way or interest in paying less than the market cost. We never set the price; it is always something we negotiate with the local supplier according to what is considered fair in their market.
Years ago, we had the privilege of visiting one of our indigenous suppliers, the Kayapo tribe in Brazil. In addition to making direct donations to their community, we also raised money via crowdfunding to buy the tribe solar-powered lights as they told us these were the things they needed most. We later, purchased authentic traditional jewelry from the tribe. We bought it as a donation to support them, and now offer them in our store to show the world their work and educate others about their heritage.
We use all natural – mostly organic – ingredients. We source only from
reputable and accredited sources.
Best wishes,
Fresh Jagua
