WHERE IS YOUR COLLAGEN FROM?
The origin of your collagen makes all the difference
From rainforest deforestation to slavery, the path to creating most collagen products is truly terrible.
COLLAGEN SOURCING
Unknown to most people, is that the vast majority of collagen products are made from animals being raised in one of the worst ways.
Rainforest land is being clear cut to raise the cattle that the vast majority of collagen products are made from, especially in Brazil, despite the marketing coming from companies.
Check out our latest collagen blog to learn more.
BRAZILIAN COLLAGEN
Most collagen products are produced from cattle raised in Brazil.
These cattle are claimed to be grass-fed, however these are not natural grass-lands that the cattle are grazing on, instead it is rainforest that is being clear cut to make room for cattle.
This is an incredibly bad idea for so many reasons.
The rainforest is far more important than cheap collagen.
FAKE GRASS-FED COLLAGEN
Because soil clear cut rainforest areas is very poor, the cows are often given grain to supplement the diet, as there is not enough grass.
In addition, they are often sent to feedlots to fattened up before slaugther.
These ingredients are defintiely not what we would consider grass-fed, despite the marketing and label claims.
COLLAGEN RAW MATERIAL SUPPLIERS
JBS is one of the largest producer of Brazilian collagen raw materials and supply huge amounts the of raw materials for products currently on the market in the United States and around the world.
They have been involved in numerous awful scandals over the years from bribery, to knowingly using and selling meat produced with slave labor.
JBS is not the only horrible collagen supplier from South America though.
It's important to boycott all collagen and beef products from South America to help protect the rainforests.
JBS COLLAGEN SUPPLIER
One of the largest suppliers of JBS is Agro SB.
Over the past decade, AgroSB has been accused of illegal deforestation, keeping workers in slave-like conditions, and spraying a community occupying one of its farms with pesticides.
Not exactly the hallmarks of a great company.
NESTLE COLLAGEN
Nestle is the largest seller of South American collagen in the United States through their Vital Proteins, Garden of Life, Orgain, and other brands.
Nestle has their own issues with slavery and environmental problems.
Is anyone really surprised by this?
Rooted Nutrition always has been and always will proudly be a Nestle free zone!
ETHICAL COLLAGEN IS POSSIBLE
Collagen does not have to be produced this way. It is only done so because of greed.
We cannot entrust our health or the health of the planet to massive multinational corporations who only care about making money.
FARM-TO-TABLE COLLAGEN
One of the best ways to ensure that your collagen is ethically produced is to be able to trace it back to the farm it came from.
Only then can we truly know that it was ethically made.
COLLAGEN FROM LAKE EYRE AUSTRALIA
While searching for collagen products, we wanted to find those that were produced ethically in every way.
We discovered a group of farmers part of a regenerative agriculture project in the Lake Eyre region of Australia.
AUSTRALIAN COLLAGEN
The Lake Eyre region is incredibly beautiful and is a perfect place to do regenerative agriculture.
It is not suitable for growing crops, but is perfect for grazing cattle in a sustainable way.
It receives occasional flooding, which brings with it nutrient rich waters that create a perfect variety of grasses for the cattle.
No land is clear cut or deforested and the natural grasslands are preserved and enchanced.
REGENERATIVE COLLAGEN SUPPLEMENTS
Regenerative agriculture is the future of farming. It helps to improve the environment and sequester carbon in the soil.
Because it improves the soil so much it also produces healthier food.
You can read more about this incredible way of farming here.
Ethically produced collagen should ideally be done with regenerative agriculture.
It's better for you, the planet, and the cattle.
MEET THE COLLAGEN FARMERS
Knowing where your food comes from is important.
We feel it should be the same way with your supplements.
The company that the project is under, Obe Organic, is 100% farmer-owned.
Click here, to read about some of the incredible farmers supplying the ingredients for the farm-to-bottle collagen supplements.
GRASS-FED AND FINISHED COLLAGEN
The animals graze year round on the pastures. They get a healthy variety of grasses and plants, over 250 species, to ensure they are healthy and well fed on a diet that nature intended.
They are not fed grain.
ANIMAL WELFARE AND COLLAGEN PRODUCTION
These animals are not kept in tiny pens.
They have wide open spaces to graze and because of the environment and healthy diet they live a very comfortable life.
They are never given hormones or other unnecessary treatments to speed their growth or for higher production.
They are never sent to feedlots.
Their health and wellbeing are of the upmost importance to the farmers.
COLLAGEN CAN BE ETHICALLY PRODUCED
Huge companies like Nestle (Vital Proteins, Garden of Life, Pure Encapsulations, and many more), Clorox (Neocell, Rainbow Light, Natural Calm, Renew Life, and many more), spend millions of dollars each year trying to convince us that they produce incredible products and have our best interests at heart.
You know they don't.
Buying products made by farmers who care a lot about the environment, people, and animals, not the people with the most advertising dollars, is the best way to ensure that you live a healthier life and leave a healthier planet for future generations.
Knowing where and how your collagen was produced is essential to ensuring that our environment is protected for generations to come, while farmers are paid a fair wage and the animals are well taken care of.
