Copaiba Copaiba (Brazil)

Why Brazil?

Listen.

Hear the hum of insects, the pattering of rain, and the squawks, chirps and calls of the birds.

As you glide along the Amazon, observe the towering jungle trees and feel the air almost sticking to your skin. Copaiba trees grow in tropical South America, especially along the Amazon of Brazil.

The Amazon River basin experiences about 80-85 percent humidity year-round with an average of 90 inches of rain per year. Because of its position on the equator, the Amazon Rainforest experiences 12 hours of sunlight every day of the year. These conditions are exceptional for plant growth, and copaiba trees thrive in this unique climate.

Go Behind The Bottle

Have you ever wondered where your bottle of Copaiba essential oil comes from? Who it touches and impacts along the way? In this episode of Behind the Bottle, meet the families behind doTERRA Copaiba essential oil and glimpse the proud lives they lead. Discover their time-honored work harvesting copaiba oleoresin—and how Co-Impact Sourcing helped fund a much-needed dental clinic for their communities.

Meet the people behind every bottle of doTERRA Copaiba

The Harvesting Process

We partner with local harvesting families that live along the Amazon River in Brazil. These families are accustomed to traveling by boat to reach neighbors and nearby towns. Each family takes care of several trees, a tradition that has been fostered for generations.

For six months of the year, the copaiba trees along the Amazon are inaccessible because the river water level drops and the harvesters are unable to reach the trees by boat. But from January to June, the Amazon experiences its rainy system, and the river and its tributaries rise an average of 20 feet (6 m) or more, which makes boat travel much more accessible. This is the copaiba harvest season.

Copaiba oleoresin accumulates in the tree trunk, and after carefully tapping (or drilling) a hole into the trunk, the resin drips out, similar to the way maple syrup is harvested.

A copaiba tree can live up to 400 years and grow more than 100 feet (30 m) tall. When a tree is first tapped, it gives an initial volume of oleoresin. The hole is then plugged, and the tree is re-visited once or twice per year. The amount of oleoresin that a copaiba tree produces is related to the diameter of the tree, the size of the tree canopy, and its location within the jungle canopy. Each tree can produce somewhere between 1 and 6 liters of oleoresin annually.

Picture a large container where copaiba resin is turned into essential oil. First, the raw resin is placed in the container, which is designed to gently stir and heat it. Inside the container is a special pipe that carries hot fluid to heat the resin, and a vacuum to help the process along by lowering the air pressure inside the container. This not only speeds up the process but also helps preserve the delicate compounds in the copaiba oil, ensuring the final product is of high quality.

What sets this process apart from regular steam distillation is the way the resin is heated. instead of steam being injected directly into the resin, a serpentine pipe gently heats it from within. Plus, the resin is stirred to ensure the process happens evenly, allowing the distinct qualities of the Copaiba essential oil to shine through.

Behind the Bottle | Copaiba

Generating Jobs

Communities in the rural Amazon are among the most poverty-stricken in Brazil. The state of Amazonas is Brazil’s fourth poorest state, with approximately 17% of the 3.6 million people living below the poverty line. Rural populations in Brazil tend to have the highest rates of poverty, due in part to lack of support for smallholder farmers.

Many families in this region generate income through collecting copaiba and other forest products, but sales can be inconsistent and unreliable. d0TERRA seeks intentional partnerships that add value to copaiba resin trade for the harvesters involved.

Impact Stories

Supported by the Co-Impact Sourcing® Challenge Fund, one of our sourcing partners worked with two Amazonian cooperatives in Apuí and Oriximiná to improve harvester safety and practices. Our partner provided tailored PPE like gloves, boots, and hats, along with training on safe, sustainable harvesters. The project concluded with a “Copaiba Good Collection Practices manual,” promoting responsible harvesting and reinforcing commitment to environmental stewardship and community well-being.

Another sourcing partner seeks to build the capacity of a local harvester, not only to sell their own resin, but also to build a network of harvesters and organize their payments and raw material deliveries.

Impact Projects to Date

2019 Dental Project

2020 Covid Relief –Food Parcels

2021 Covid Relief –Medical Equipment & Healthcare units

2024 School renovation at an indigenous tribe Sataré-Mawé

2024 Construction of a Computer Lab in Novo Airão

2024 Construction of a new school in Mirituba village, Apurinā tribe

2024 PPE distribution and training to harvesters in Apuí and Oriximiná

In 2019, the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation (dHHF) funded a dental clinic for 350 residents of seven remote Copaiba-harvesting communities to address urgent oral healthcare needs. This initiative marked the beginning of our ongoing relationship focused on developing health and education infrastructure in these communities.

Through these, and several other initiatives, doTERRA and its partners are helping families gain the tools, knowledge, and resources they need to thrive. From better healthcare to improved education, these efforts are laying the groundwork for stronger, more resilient communities, where people can grow their businesses, protect their environment, and secure a better future for their children.