Made in Italy by a company based in Providence, Rhode Island.
Made by a woman owned company.
Made of natural ingredients.
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In 1992, educator Deborah Schimberg and her family traveled to Northern Guatemala. There they visited an economically depressed, chicle-producing community and learned about chicle, the sap of the sapodilla trees that grow in the rainforests of Central America. They were surprised to hear that chicle had once been the basis of the entire chewing gum industry. When synthetic resins became the norm in the 1940s and ‘50s, the market for chicle diminished. The harvest of chicle is sustainable and benefits both rainforest conservation and the local economy in forest regions.
Deborah and her children experimented with this sticky tree sap in their kitchen. By tweaking a traditional formula and adding confectioner’s sugar, corn syrup, and flavoring, they found a way to create homemade chewing gum. With hopes of building a new market for chicle and educating folks about it, Deborah founded Verve, Inc. which remains dedicated to providing a sustainable source of income for chicle-producing communities.
Verve is a member of Green America and also a partner of Trees for the Future, helping to improve the livelihoods of impoverished farmers by revitalizing degraded lands. Verve also supports the Cloud Forest School, a bilingual school with an environmental focus in Monteverde, Costa Rica, and the Maya Intercultural University of Quintana Roo, a public university dedicated to social and economic development in the region of Quintana Roo and the Yucatan.
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Bubblegum Ingredients: Xylitol, Gum Base(chicle, calcium carbonate, candelilla wax, citric acid), natural flavors, gum arabic, carnuba wax, radish, lemon, black current (for color).
Peppermint Ingredients: Xylitol, Gum Base(chicle, calcium carbonate, candelilla wax, citric acid), natural peppermint flavor, gum arabic, carnuba wax.
16pc Portrait Boxes with flip-top locking lid.
Non-GMO, Gluten Free, Kosher