CANDELA
Amazonian nuts and sacha inchi oil
How it started
Candela was born in 1989 on the initiative of a group of professionals working within organizations that provided support to Peruvian producers. From the outset, the goal was to offer marketing services to the Andean and indigenous production realities that cultivated Amazonian nuts; these workers were immature from a commercial point of view, but they had a great deal of experience in the care and conservation of the forest. A collaboration born with the aim of saving the territory and the local economy.
How it is today
Candela empowers the communities of the Peruvian territories in which it operates (Lima and Madre De Dios), supporting small suppliers who sustainably cultivate and harvest the best that the Andes and the Amazon have to offer. The main economic resources of these areas are linked to the nuts of the Amazon, called castañas, to precious wood, to gold mining, to livestock and to subsistence agriculture. Other activities such as oil extraction and adventure tourism have sprung up in the area, but they undermine the ecosystem. For this reason Candela’s commitment is essential to offer an alternative for the sustenance of populations and the environment.
How it works
Environmental sustainability
The main activity of the organization involves the collection of Amazonian nuts and an initial processing, the phase that precedes the transfer to the production plants where they are taken for the extraction of oils and for the production of butters for cosmetic use.
There are about 150 certified organic Candela producers who live in the Madre di Dios region and move into the forest during the rainy season, setting up camps to collect the nuts. Thanks to their commitment to organic farming, Candela producers contribute to conserving the forest and its great environmental and social value, defending it from deforestation.
Candela offers a series of services to producers: transport to the work area assigned to them in the forest, courses on planning and organizing the group, taking care of the practices for organic certification, for the care of product quality and on the use of the rain forest. Other projects have been dedicated to water and the extraction of quality oils.
What it generates/produces
The Amazonian nut grows spontaneously in the forest and is harvested during the rainy season, from approximately January to March. The trees can reach 50 meters and play an essential role in the conservation of the Amazon rainforest. When the fruit capsule swells from the rains, it falls to the ground. The castañeros with the machete cut the capsule and collect the nuts. These are then transported to the Puerto Maldonado processing plant, built on the basis of efficiency and environmental sustainability criteria.
In the area there is also sacha inchi, a plant from which a unique oil is obtained, extremely rich in linoleic acid known for its moisturizing properties. Avocado oil also comes from Peru, albeit from a different area, closer to the Andes, and is obtained by cold pressing of its pulp. An oil rich in fatty acids is obtained which helps hydration and elasticity of the skin. Avocados together with sacha inchi and Amazonian nuts are processed to obtain particular oils, essential for Natyr’s natural cosmetics, especially for the Night Blooming line.
