Our Regenerative Journey: #losethescoop

Hi, I’m Ricky, founder of Mikuna. I grew up on the Ecuadorian coast, where some of the largest mangrove forests in the world exist. These highly biodiverse forests are home to countless wildlife species, many of which are endangered or under threat. As a fifth-generation farmer, I understood and saw first-hand how agriculture affects the environment and deforestation, both locally and globally.

I was inspired watching Indigenous farmers practice regenerative agriculture through the cultivation of Chocho. These farmers have created tangible solutions that could play an important role in food diversity, seed sovereignty, and climate change.

For farmers, regenerative plots of land are 78% more profitable than their traditional counterparts and, as such, they provide an opportunity to improve farmer welfare. 

At Mikuna, we intend to lead by example by honoring and integrating Indigenous practices into the web of modern life, for the people in the community and eventually for the whole planet. We aim to be a regenerative brand, and we think of it as a journey, a process, maybe even a lifestyle—not a goal we think can ever be truly achieved. The important part is working toward it every day, making small improvements that can have a lasting impact. 

“It is not about doing less harm or reducing your impact, being net zero or carbon neutral - it's about the net positive impact you can create.”

Losing the Scoop

We knew we had something special on our hands with Chocho. But being a regenerative brand is not just about this amazing crop and agricultural practices, it’s about applying regenerative practices to everything we do. And that includes our packaging! So we began by asking ourselves—What can we do to reduce and avoid plastic use in the pursuit of a regenerative mission?

The most immediate solution was to switch from our composite canisters that had five different components including a plastic scoop, to pouches made from 55% post consumer recycled material.

The decision to lose the plastic scoop was an easy one, and it’s something we’re particularly proud of. Most protein brands are still using scoops even though our kitchens are filled with ways to measure our food. If more brands adopt this simple but important change, it will save our landfills from thousands of scoops that usually do not get recycled. 

Our new pouch also includes 30% more Chocho Superfood Protein. Creating larger packaging minimizes the frequency of packaging use, and in the future we will be looking to provide even larger sizes to further reduce waste. 

Our ultimate goal is to eliminate all unnecessary packaging and make our bags reusable, recyclable, or compostable without becoming waste or pollution. And our new packaging is just the first step. 

Now we’re looking to widen our impact by calling on others to join us on our regenerative journey: Vega, Nutiva, Form, Ka’chava, and other fellow protein brands…Will you join us in losing the scoop?

Written by: Ricky Echanique