The Jaina Gardens, or the genesis of an intention

The beauty of the Amazon rainforest is indescribable. It is impossible to capture in photos or to describe in words as it explodes with life. You have to immerse yourself in it, totally immerse yourself in it to be carried away by this permanent bubbling of life, colors, scents, pure sensations.

These tropical forests have evolved over millions of years into the incredible, complex environment that they are today. They have become a receptacle of life, the lung of the earth and an incredibly rich ecosystem of living things of all kinds, animals, plants, insects and other living organisms that live, regenerate and evolve constantly.

There is something special about the plants that grow in the Amazon and other rainforests around the world. The richness of the Amazon is unparalleled. One hectare (2.47 acres) of Amazon rainforest land can contain more than 750 types of trees and 1,500 species of higher plants. Sadly, this biodiversity also includes an equally incredible number of bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites and insects that the plants and people of the rainforest must contend with.

To survive in this unique environment, rainforest plants create powerful and complex chemical defense mechanisms against these pathogens and pest species. Many scientists are now studying these defensive plant chemicals for their antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic and anticancer actions in their search for new drugs. It's no wonder that the National Cancer Institute in the United States has identified 3,000 plants that are active against cancer cells and that 70% of these plants are found in the rainforest. These rainforest plants are powerhouses of active and beneficial plant chemicals and can be made into effective herbal remedies. They are the true wealth of the rainforest and they can be the pharmacy of the world.

The inhabitants of the rainforest, led by shamans, healers and herbalists, have learned over thousands of years to harness the power of these rainforest plants to protect themselves from the same harmful pathogens and treat others. common illnesses. These plants were their only pharmacy in the remote jungles of the Amazon. Their knowledge is irreplaceable.

Unfortunately, it has taken humans less than a century to overcome these balances. In 30 years the world population has grown by more than 30%, the consumption of goods and food has also followed. In the 1950s, 15% of the earth's surface was covered by tropical forests, today half of that has disappeared.

Today, the Amazon rainforest in particular, and tropical forests in general, are suffering from a massive deforestation movement. This movement is due to several factors, mainly the transformation of forests into land for livestock production, soybeans for beef consumption, for mining prospecting, hydraulic projects etc.

With this disappearance, we are losing an ecosystem rich in millions of species. We now estimate that we lose around 137 species of animals, plants or microorganisms every day!

In every area of rainforest on earth, we find indigenous people who have learned to live in harmony with this ecosystem, and who have empirically developed a science of the therapeutic use of plants. This knowledge is immense and extremely useful.

The pharmaceutical industry has been looking into the subject for years and huge investments have been made, scientists and ethnologists from all sides are now investing in these forests to study them, to discover new molecules to then be synthesized in laboratories. and use to save lives and that's great, but it's not enough. Why ? simply because the overall approach has been to collect the information acquired over millennia by these men and women healers, but the wealth has not been shared with these populations, and little is currently being done to save these forests.  

Today, we estimate that half of the population in the Amazon has disappeared, most plant connoisseurs are elderly, and this knowledge is in danger of being lost with their demise.

So, to economic problem, we try to answer with an economic solution. At present, the use of one hectare of forest land for cattle exploitation brings in 60 $, the exploitation of wood for the same area, therefore cutting the trees, brings in 400 $, with a recovery cycle estimated at 30 years if it takes place. A third alternative exists, the sustainable exploitation of the same area for medicinal and cosmetic purposes would bring in $ 2,400 per year.

Using these lands in an ecological way involves appealing to local populations who are very familiar with the cycle of plant renewal, how to collect them and when and how to use them.

At Les Jardins de Jaina, our vocation is to appeal to these populations for the collection in a respectful manner of nature of raw materials and molecules to take care of the skin. Today for cosmetic purposes, but tomorrow ... and above all, to pay these populations equitably so that the wealth is properly shared.

 This collection is done in a short circuit, with limited quantities in order to solicit nature only for what it is able to provide by regenerating itself without endangering it.

 It is up to us to set up the necessary circuits, to finance the purchase of deforested plots and their rehabilitation, it is up to us to guarantee a decent income making it possible to maintain the populations of the Amazon in their living environment if they wish, to continue to live in harmony with nature if they wish. 

We start small, but we think big. So in the long term, we will be able to tell you for each bottle from which village exactly each raw material comes, what parcel of forest has been saved thanks to your purchase.

And it is in these terms that this approach appears ecological to us, because the use of these precious molecules, of these plants from the other side of the planet would allow us to finance their preservation. 

And because we believe that this logic is valid everywhere, we are committed to working with small producers from different regions, including and especially from France. These small producers are close to their land, know how to use only what is necessary, take care of local biodiversity, and are remunerated fairly.

So this is the genesis of the Jaina Gardens, all that's left is….