Living Magazine Fall 2016 | Page 6

Cō-Impact

Co - Sourcing

Sourcing ® ®

Rebuilding Bulgaria

Arborvitae & Nootka

British Columbia , Canada

At one time in Bulgaria , you would have driven through the Dobrich area and found an area bustling with industry . In fact , before the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 , Bulgaria was a key industrial area for the Soviets and also home to some of the world ’ s most preeminent essential oil research , development , and production . But today , as you pass empty factory after empty factory in many areas of Bulgaria , you quickly realize that Bulgaria ’ s past is not reflected in the present .

This is not for lack of expertise in the country or lack of ideal farming conditions for many aromatic plants . The sandy soil and climate all contribute to a land that is rich in potential . Seasoned experts are also skilled in the art of farming and distilling some of the world ’ s highest quality essential oils . To this day , the country remains an agricultural haven for growing a variety of aromatic plants , among them lavender , melissa , chamomile , and yarrow . However , without the support of the state to back essential oil farming , many Bulgarian farmers have abandoned essential oils to grow crops like wheat and corn , which are the focus of government funding and vast European Union subsidies .

Knowing the history of essential oils in Bulgaria , dōTERRA chose the Black Sea Town of Varna with a production center in nearby Dobrich as the location for new world-class headquarters . This new dōTERRA-owned farming and distillation company called Esseterre is helping begin a new chapter for the country .

The Pacific Northwest is home to the largest temperate rainforest on the planet where more than 40 indigenous tree species grow , including the Giant Arborvitae and the Nootka coniferous trees . Both trees are an important part of the aboriginal First Nation history in British Columbia , Canada . In 2015 , dōTERRA introduced Arborviate ( Thuja plicata ) as a single oil and the recently reformulated dōTERRA TerraShield ®

Outdoor Blend introduced earlier this year , both Arborvitae and Nootka essential oils are featured as key oil ingredients .

A Unique Facility

For years , brokers have mostly managed the distilleries that remain in Bulgaria , which means they determined how much and when the farmers would get paid . Many farmers are not paid what they should be , and some are not paid for months or even years until the brokers have sold the oil .

What makes the Esseterre distillery unique is an on-site , stateof-the-art laboratory , including a gas chromatography – mass spectrometry ( GC / MS ) machine and a lounge where farmers can watch and wait while their crops are being distilled . “ Having this technology on-site at the distillery allows us to not only confirm , while the farmer waits , that their plants produced the highest-quality oil , but also to pay farmers fairly and timely — in this case the same day or the next day ,” explains Tim Valentiner , Director of Strategic Sourcing . “ We also are enabled to reward bonuses to farmers that are doing the best work and growing plants that result in the highest quality oil . No other distillery in Bulgaria has this capability or priority like we do .”

Other exciting developments have taken place at the distillery since completion just a few months ago . Not only was it ready for this year ’ s lavender harvest in record time , but it has already had an impact on small-scale farmers . Before the distillery even had a chance to officially open , a melissa farmer came to Esseterre in a panic . He had taken his crop to be distilled at a different distillery nearby , but they had been unable to get a single drop of oil from it . Knowing that there was a new distillery with state-of-the-art equipment , he talked to the management team at Esseterre and begged them to do something . While they had not yet distilled any oil , the team fired

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