A Sacred Partnership
We’re honored to be partnered with S.A.C.R.E.D. in an agave replanting initiative. For every bottle sold, we donate $5 to purchase seedlings from a Oaxacan school and distribute them to mezcaleros who will replant the seedlings on their land.
Saving Agave for Culture, Recreation, Education and Development (S.A.C.R.E.D.) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation and 1% for the Planet Nonprofit Partner that works hand-in-hand with rural Mexican communities who produce heritage agave spirits. S.A.C.R.E.D. directs money back into these communities, funding a variety of projects such as replanting agaves, building libraries, ensuring water security, and repairing damage done by earthquakes.
Combating unsustainable demand
Due to the growing popularity of mezcal, there has been an increased demand for agaves - plants which take many years to mature in the ground before they can be harvested to make mezcal.
The surging demand for mezcal has wreaked havoc on agave sustainability, leading to overharvesting, and jeopardizing the delicate ecological balance of this crucial plant.
Additionally, the strain on the finite amount of mature agaves has made things very difficult for small producers. Bidding wars for plants ensue and small producers can’t afford to compete against the large corporations.
In gifting seedlings to producers, we’re helping them close the loop on their process and providing a stable source of tobala agave plants.
Building a brighter future
for Oaxacan youth
Tobala seedlings are purchased from Telesecundaria El Manantial, a middle school located in Zaachila, at the center of Oaxaca’s dump site. Students in the agriculture class plant the seedlings, nurture and harvest them until they are transported to a mezcalero’s land where they’ll continue to grow for 8-12 years before they’re ready for mezcal production.
S.A.C.R.E.D. facilitates this process by purchasing the seedlings for $1 each, which covers the costs incurred by the school. In 2021, the school was able to build a basketball court from the profits they earned from selling these seedlings.
Learn more here.