Meet a Maker: Camila and Giordana Gusmão of Botanica Origins
The sisters behind this innovative upstart took thier childhood experience growing up in the Amazon Rainforest and their passion for health & sustainability to bring ethically-sourced, single-origin, nutritious superfoods to the masses.
Ingredient transparency is something that consumers look for in a product. According to FMI–The Food Industry Association and NielsenIQ, nearly two-thirds of grocery shoppers would switch to brands that disclose more than just ingredient and nutritional information. Botanica Origins, a brand of single-origin superfoods ethically sourced from their native habitat, is taking this one step further with packaging that reflects the exact origin of their products.
The founders', Camila and Giordana Gusmão, mission with Botanica is twofold: to offer ingredients in their pure and natural form, that not only taste as good as they do in their native habitat, but also provide the optimum health benefits as intended by nature, while giving people the transparency to reconnect with what they eat by understanding its origins.
The sister duo spoke with Foodboro about the origins (pun intended) of the brand, their journey to entrepreneurship, the challenges of navigating the CPG industry, advice for other startup founders, and what’s next for Botanica.
Where did the inspiration for the brand come from?
We were inspired by the Amazon Rainforest and its people, as that's where we were born and raised.
We were lucky enough to grow up in a small city and have a lot of contact with nature during our childhood. We also developed a close relationship with food from an early age because our parents were growing most of what we ate, so we were always involved in the whole process, from growing food to preparing it. We always knew that at some point we wanted to work with food.
Eating should be a full experience that creates memories and inspires us to explore the world, and that it should be nourishing and wholesome. We've always avoided processed foods, and enjoyed knowing where our food came from along with the story behind it. On top of that, we came to understand that the food choices we make play a big role in our planet's sustainability and the lives of others around the world.
And that's in the essence of what we are building with Botanica: offering foods that are nourishing and wholesome, that have a story behind them, and play an important role in the environment and local communities where they are sourced from. We're also trying to give people the opportunity to reconnect & rediscover food by understanding its origins.
You've mentioned that you're trying to help people rediscover food by understanding its origins, can we explore this a little further?
Of course! Moving out of a small city made us realize that most people are disconnected from food, and to some extent, this happens because they don't know where their food comes from, how and when it is grown, and what it looks like in nature. We have a broken food system that also collaborates with that.
With Botanica, everything we do has a final goal of helping people reconnect with food, and there are a couple of things that we do for that. Our whole packaging is inspired by the environment and the communities where that product comes from. We provide the approximate geographic coordinates of the harvest right in the front of the packaging and we're able to do that because all of our products are single-origin and directly sourced by us. On social media, we're also trying to connect our customers to the food's origins by providing a lot of information about it.
What are the challenges involved in direct sourcing & single-origin ingredients? Why do you think there aren't many brands doing that?
Sourcing single-origin ingredients - from another country - and bringing them directly to customers is indeed challenging, even more nowadays with supply chain issues, inflation & skyrocketing transportation costs. You're doing all your work plus what the exporters, importers, and distributors would do.
Some of our products are also sourced from very small co-ops, which means that there are other challenges involved in guaranteeing product supply during the whole year. Still, even with these challenges, we think that all the work that we have been doing with each of our producers and the transparency that we're able to give customers is very gratifying.
Who in the industry do you turn to for inspiration? Any other brands in the industry that you admire?
There are many entrepreneurs and brands making a difference and we find that very inspiring. We're always trying to connect and learn from them. Networking in the CPG industry is something that we appreciate a lot.
As founders, what do you do to take care of your health - both physical and mental?
We prepare most of what we eat by which we can control the quality of the ingredients we use and have the pleasure of eating wholesome and homemade meals. Besides that, we surround ourselves with beauty, spend some time in nature, and socialize with family and friends whenever possible!
What advice do you have for early-stage entrepreneurs?
YES!
One, that it is normal to be scared sometimes, especially when you are not so sure about what you're doing because you haven't done that before, but do not let fear stop you from doing things.
Second, be ready - mentally and financially - to lose some money - it's unavoidable, we all make wrong decisions.
It is normal to be scared sometimes, especially when you are not so sure about what you're doing because you haven't done that before, but do not let fear stop you from doing things.
Third, network with other founders in the industry and ask for advice when you need it (Hint hint: join the Foodboro community!)
And the last one, if you're able to, invest in design and branding from the beginning - it does make a difference.
What food trends do you think are here to stay?
Conscious consumption! People have been caring more and more over the years about the quality and integrity of what they consume. In the food industry specifically, consumers are more concerned about where their food comes from and the sustainability aspects behind it - and that's pretty cool!
What’s next for the brand?!
We have some VERY exciting products coming to our line this year, but we can't reveal any details just yet… ! Stay tuned for it. A tip - Something that comes from the Amazon Rainforest.
Ingredient transparency is something that consumers look for in a product. According to FMI–The Food Industry Association and NielsenIQ, nearly two-thirds of grocery shoppers would switch to brands that disclose more than just ingredient and nutritional information. Botanica Origins, a brand of single-origin superfoods ethically sourced from their native habitat, is taking this one step further with packaging that reflects the exact origin of their products.
The founders', Camila and Giordana Gusmão, mission with Botanica is twofold: to offer ingredients in their pure and natural form, that not only taste as good as they do in their native habitat, but also provide the optimum health benefits as intended by nature, while giving people the transparency to reconnect with what they eat by understanding its origins.
The sister duo spoke with Foodboro about the origins (pun intended) of the brand, their journey to entrepreneurship, the challenges of navigating the CPG industry, advice for other startup founders, and what’s next for Botanica.
Where did the inspiration for the brand come from?
We were inspired by the Amazon Rainforest and its people, as that's where we were born and raised.
We were lucky enough to grow up in a small city and have a lot of contact with nature during our childhood. We also developed a close relationship with food from an early age because our parents were growing most of what we ate, so we were always involved in the whole process, from growing food to preparing it. We always knew that at some point we wanted to work with food.
Eating should be a full experience that creates memories and inspires us to explore the world, and that it should be nourishing and wholesome. We've always avoided processed foods, and enjoyed knowing where our food came from along with the story behind it. On top of that, we came to understand that the food choices we make play a big role in our planet's sustainability and the lives of others around the world.
And that's in the essence of what we are building with Botanica: offering foods that are nourishing and wholesome, that have a story behind them, and play an important role in the environment and local communities where they are sourced from. We're also trying to give people the opportunity to reconnect & rediscover food by understanding its origins.
You've mentioned that you're trying to help people rediscover food by understanding its origins, can we explore this a little further?
Of course! Moving out of a small city made us realize that most people are disconnected from food, and to some extent, this happens because they don't know where their food comes from, how and when it is grown, and what it looks like in nature. We have a broken food system that also collaborates with that.
With Botanica, everything we do has a final goal of helping people reconnect with food, and there are a couple of things that we do for that. Our whole packaging is inspired by the environment and the communities where that product comes from. We provide the approximate geographic coordinates of the harvest right in the front of the packaging and we're able to do that because all of our products are single-origin and directly sourced by us. On social media, we're also trying to connect our customers to the food's origins by providing a lot of information about it.
What are the challenges involved in direct sourcing & single-origin ingredients? Why do you think there aren't many brands doing that?
Sourcing single-origin ingredients - from another country - and bringing them directly to customers is indeed challenging, even more nowadays with supply chain issues, inflation & skyrocketing transportation costs. You're doing all your work plus what the exporters, importers, and distributors would do.
Some of our products are also sourced from very small co-ops, which means that there are other challenges involved in guaranteeing product supply during the whole year. Still, even with these challenges, we think that all the work that we have been doing with each of our producers and the transparency that we're able to give customers is very gratifying.
Who in the industry do you turn to for inspiration? Any other brands in the industry that you admire?
There are many entrepreneurs and brands making a difference and we find that very inspiring. We're always trying to connect and learn from them. Networking in the CPG industry is something that we appreciate a lot.
As founders, what do you do to take care of your health - both physical and mental?
We prepare most of what we eat by which we can control the quality of the ingredients we use and have the pleasure of eating wholesome and homemade meals. Besides that, we surround ourselves with beauty, spend some time in nature, and socialize with family and friends whenever possible!
What advice do you have for early-stage entrepreneurs?
YES!
One, that it is normal to be scared sometimes, especially when you are not so sure about what you're doing because you haven't done that before, but do not let fear stop you from doing things.
Second, be ready - mentally and financially - to lose some money - it's unavoidable, we all make wrong decisions.
It is normal to be scared sometimes, especially when you are not so sure about what you're doing because you haven't done that before, but do not let fear stop you from doing things.
Third, network with other founders in the industry and ask for advice when you need it (Hint hint: join the Foodboro community!)
And the last one, if you're able to, invest in design and branding from the beginning - it does make a difference.
What food trends do you think are here to stay?
Conscious consumption! People have been caring more and more over the years about the quality and integrity of what they consume. In the food industry specifically, consumers are more concerned about where their food comes from and the sustainability aspects behind it - and that's pretty cool!
What’s next for the brand?!
We have some VERY exciting products coming to our line this year, but we can't reveal any details just yet… ! Stay tuned for it. A tip - Something that comes from the Amazon Rainforest.
Ingredient transparency is something that consumers look for in a product. According to FMI–The Food Industry Association and NielsenIQ, nearly two-thirds of grocery shoppers would switch to brands that disclose more than just ingredient and nutritional information. Botanica Origins, a brand of single-origin superfoods ethically sourced from their native habitat, is taking this one step further with packaging that reflects the exact origin of their products.
The founders', Camila and Giordana Gusmão, mission with Botanica is twofold: to offer ingredients in their pure and natural form, that not only taste as good as they do in their native habitat, but also provide the optimum health benefits as intended by nature, while giving people the transparency to reconnect with what they eat by understanding its origins.
The sister duo spoke with Foodboro about the origins (pun intended) of the brand, their journey to entrepreneurship, the challenges of navigating the CPG industry, advice for other startup founders, and what’s next for Botanica.
Where did the inspiration for the brand come from?
We were inspired by the Amazon Rainforest and its people, as that's where we were born and raised.
We were lucky enough to grow up in a small city and have a lot of contact with nature during our childhood. We also developed a close relationship with food from an early age because our parents were growing most of what we ate, so we were always involved in the whole process, from growing food to preparing it. We always knew that at some point we wanted to work with food.
Eating should be a full experience that creates memories and inspires us to explore the world, and that it should be nourishing and wholesome. We've always avoided processed foods, and enjoyed knowing where our food came from along with the story behind it. On top of that, we came to understand that the food choices we make play a big role in our planet's sustainability and the lives of others around the world.
And that's in the essence of what we are building with Botanica: offering foods that are nourishing and wholesome, that have a story behind them, and play an important role in the environment and local communities where they are sourced from. We're also trying to give people the opportunity to reconnect & rediscover food by understanding its origins.
You've mentioned that you're trying to help people rediscover food by understanding its origins, can we explore this a little further?
Of course! Moving out of a small city made us realize that most people are disconnected from food, and to some extent, this happens because they don't know where their food comes from, how and when it is grown, and what it looks like in nature. We have a broken food system that also collaborates with that.
With Botanica, everything we do has a final goal of helping people reconnect with food, and there are a couple of things that we do for that. Our whole packaging is inspired by the environment and the communities where that product comes from. We provide the approximate geographic coordinates of the harvest right in the front of the packaging and we're able to do that because all of our products are single-origin and directly sourced by us. On social media, we're also trying to connect our customers to the food's origins by providing a lot of information about it.
What are the challenges involved in direct sourcing & single-origin ingredients? Why do you think there aren't many brands doing that?
Sourcing single-origin ingredients - from another country - and bringing them directly to customers is indeed challenging, even more nowadays with supply chain issues, inflation & skyrocketing transportation costs. You're doing all your work plus what the exporters, importers, and distributors would do.
Some of our products are also sourced from very small co-ops, which means that there are other challenges involved in guaranteeing product supply during the whole year. Still, even with these challenges, we think that all the work that we have been doing with each of our producers and the transparency that we're able to give customers is very gratifying.
Who in the industry do you turn to for inspiration? Any other brands in the industry that you admire?
There are many entrepreneurs and brands making a difference and we find that very inspiring. We're always trying to connect and learn from them. Networking in the CPG industry is something that we appreciate a lot.
As founders, what do you do to take care of your health - both physical and mental?
We prepare most of what we eat by which we can control the quality of the ingredients we use and have the pleasure of eating wholesome and homemade meals. Besides that, we surround ourselves with beauty, spend some time in nature, and socialize with family and friends whenever possible!
What advice do you have for early-stage entrepreneurs?
YES!
One, that it is normal to be scared sometimes, especially when you are not so sure about what you're doing because you haven't done that before, but do not let fear stop you from doing things.
Second, be ready - mentally and financially - to lose some money - it's unavoidable, we all make wrong decisions.
It is normal to be scared sometimes, especially when you are not so sure about what you're doing because you haven't done that before, but do not let fear stop you from doing things.
Third, network with other founders in the industry and ask for advice when you need it (Hint hint: join the Foodboro community!)
And the last one, if you're able to, invest in design and branding from the beginning - it does make a difference.
What food trends do you think are here to stay?
Conscious consumption! People have been caring more and more over the years about the quality and integrity of what they consume. In the food industry specifically, consumers are more concerned about where their food comes from and the sustainability aspects behind it - and that's pretty cool!
What’s next for the brand?!
We have some VERY exciting products coming to our line this year, but we can't reveal any details just yet… ! Stay tuned for it. A tip - Something that comes from the Amazon Rainforest.
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