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 these episodes of Behind the Bottle, meet the families behind doTERRA Copaiba essential oil and get a glimpse of their lives and needs—including what it takes to collect copaiba oleoresin and an enormous need for dental care.

Meet the people behind every bottle of doTERRA Copaiba

The Harvesting Process

The essential oil is steam distilled from the oleoresin of the Copaiba tree. A Copaiba tree is tapped for its oleoresin, similar to the way maple syrup is harvested. For six months of the year, the Copaiba trees of the Amazon are inaccessible. But each year from January to June, the Amazon experiences its rainy season. During this time, the river and its tributaries rise an average of 20 feet (6 m) or more, which means that the Copaiba trees can be reached by boat.

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, but each tree can produce somewhere between 2 and 6 liters of oleoresin annually. A Copaiba tree can live up to 400 years and grow more than 100 feet (30 m) tall.

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.

Behind the Bottle | Copaiba

People Empowered: 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 percent 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. 1

By sourcing Copaiba oleoresin for essential oil in the state of Amazonas, we support the livelihoods of at least 3,000 harvesters. Although harvesters had oleoresin buyers in the past, they were not guaranteed a fair market price for their product, and sales were irregular. Through dōTERRA, these harvesters are now paid a fair, previously agreed upon price for their oleoresin regularly and reliably.

Impact Stories

2019 Dental Project ($26,920)

2020 Covid Relief –Food Parcels ($18,240)

2021 Covid Relief –Medical Equipment & Healthcare units

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.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, dHHF collaborated with our Copaiba sourcing partner to provide support for local hospitals and healthcare units as well as basic needs for families and individuals throughout Pará. Supplies and equipment needed for two hospitals and 24 healthcare units throughout the Oriximina, Faro, and Terra Santa municipalities of Pará were distributed.

The doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation also collaborated on a food security initiative with our sourcing partner, providing basic food supplies, such as dried milk and beans, and hygienic supplies such as soap and detergent. These packages were delivered to 450 families, about 2,250 people total, in seven harvesting areas.

Wellness Advocate Resources