Strong exports of yerba mate by Caribbean and South American countries have encouraged suppliers to target the United States.
Global exports of yerba mate were valued at more than $203 million in 2021, led by Brazil's $97 million shipments followed by Argentina, at $68 million and Paraguay at $14 million, according to International Trade Center figures. Syria, Lebanon and other Middle Eastern countries are the leading importers of mate outside of South America. Spain is also a significant consumer.
One sign of the industry's momentum is fundraising. Sebastopol, California-based producer Guayaki Yerba Mate closed $75 million in funding in January. Founded in 1996, the company employs 600 and generates an estimated $100 million in annual revenue, according to Forbes.
Amelia Quelas, president of the newly established American Yerba Mate Association (AYMA), describes yerba mate as a plant-based energy drink that is as strong as coffee, with just as much caffeine and "even more health benefits than green tea.” The association promotes mates “that can be traced from origin to ensure that we retain the solid properties that consumers expect at their table,” Quelas said.
“We are moving away from the use of agrochemicals. We are trying to be friendly to our environment, preserve the forest, and provide an upscale product,” she said. It is important to keep yerba mate products sold in the U.S. true to their roots as non-GMO, free of chemicals, and genuine in origin, production, and quality standards.” Products are packaged in compostable papers supplied by Biterra.
She said the association would help finance scientific research regarding yerba mate as a superfood.
The tradition of mate consumption originated among the Guaraní people, an indigenous community that settled alongside the Paraguay and Uruguay rivers in ancient times. Yerba mate plants take 18 months to mature and are difficult to grow outside their native rainforest, where humidity must average at least 50%. The crop in Argentina draws from the Guarani Aquifer and is grown on soils rich in iron and magnesium, said Quelas.