Jagua two week tattoos
Designing and implementing the sourcing chain of Colombian jagua fruits
Problems
Genipa americana L., or jagua, is a tree that grows (mostly) wild in Latin America. Jagua fruits are edible but not consumed nor traded. Nonetheless, the fruits contain the genipin chemical compound that can be used in many industries. For this project, jagua is collected and processed into semi-manufactured products for cosmetically certified temporary tattoos. Just like with henna, Jagua-based tattoo products dye the skin for two weeks. Jagua-based cosmetics however result in an intense dark blue stain, whereas henna products give an orange to brown stain. Securing a stable, sustainable supply of high-quality fruit is particularly challenging as jagua trees mostly grow wild and their fruits are not used.
Solutions
During the project, Resilience B.V. worked closely with Blue Leaf B.V. to understand gaps, risks and costs associated with establishing a sustainable fruit sourcing chain. The team worked with local farmers to build long-term partnerships to supply jagua fruits. We designed a sourcing strategy that covers sustainable picking, sorting and transportation. We moreover developed a detailed export and business plan, with a 15-year financial prognosis. All products will be sold through the e-commerce channels of Blue Leaf B.V. (www.jaguahenna.com / www.justdohue.com).
Impact
1. Creating new income streams for local communities by (re)introducing the cultivation of a native, unused fruit and connecting them to an international buyer. We primarily target households that rely on small-scale farming.
2. The scaling up the production and sales of jagua-based cosmetics will directly contribute to job creation and increasing (rural) income.
3. The project contributes to the creation of standardized, sustainable, safe, and affordable temporary tattoo products. This product will be the only safe alternative for a dark temporary tattoo (alternative for ‘black henna’).
Bogotá, Colombia
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Timeframe
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