Northern Arizona University

Sonoran oregano (Lippia graveolens)

 

Fair Trade Sonoran Oregano from the Seri Indians

A Special Opportunity for Chefs Collaborative and Slow Food Affiliates

There are many oreganos in the world, but one of the most pungent and flavorful is the Sonoran oregano (Lippia graveolens) that is hand-harvested from the islands and coast of the Gulf of California by the Seri Indians, an endangered people. The Seri have long used this oregano for its culinary, medicinal, and ceremonial properties, which include it being ranked among the world's top plants for antioxidant protection against the maladies of aging—even better than vitamin E. It is now one of the few sustainably harvested cash products that they can market directly to chefs, gift shops and enlightened consumers in the U.S.

Sonoran oregano is one of several Mexican oreganos marketed, but many are bulked or cultivated in ways that homogenize the distinctive aromatic oils of each plant population. This one holds the flavor of the U.S./Mexico borderlands. The Seri hand-harvested oregano grows in desert forests that receive less than four inches of rain per year, where the aromatic oils in the leaves are a key means of drought resistance for the plants. In essence, the hyper-arid climate concentrates the oils to a degree unparalleled in oreganos from further south and east, imbuing every leaf with an exquisite pungency.

The Seri have long harvested Sonoran oregano, but up until now it has passed through several middlemen before it reaches the pantries of chefs and slow food aficionados. Sonoran oregano is one of the few sustainably-harvested cash products that the Seri can market directly to chefs, gift shops and enlightened consumers in the U.S. This product is “fair trade” not “free trade,” allowing the Seri to re-coup their harvesting time and their effort towards keeping the harvest sustainable.

The Seri are considered an “endangered people,” with less than 750 individuals left in the world who speak their language. Nevertheless, they are actively engaged in biodiversity and habitat conservation throughout their homeland, as recently documented in the book, Singing the Turtles to Sea (Gary Nabhan, 2003, University of California Press).

This new product is being pilot-marketed through a project coordinated by the Center for Sustainable Environments at Northern Arizona University, and supported by the Overbrook Foundation, a leading contributor to community-based biodiversity conservation in Latin America. All funds associated with your purchase of this product will go directly to the Seri, with grant support paying for promotion and handling. Your purchases will aid in their cultural survival.

English Order Form (pdf)

Spanish Order Form (pdf)

   

CSE is proud to be in our new home in the Applied Research and Development Building - one of the most efficient buildings in the world!  The ARD building has been granted the US Green Building Council's LEED "Platinum" certification, the highest level attainable.