The Companies Leading the Charge of This Emerging Industry
Southern California: A new frontier has emerged for the global Hemp and Cannabis markets in a country where the landscape, climate, and citizens might be best suited for it–Ecuador.
Over two years ago Brian Lopez, Alfredo Lopez, Jaime Garza, and Duke Kurick presented the government of Ecuador with the idea of embracing a rapidly emerging industry that could not only revitalize the nation economically but would also be able to utilize the existing agricultural infrastructure, which the country has relied on for so long. The last two years of collaborating with the government to create the regulatory framework came to a pinnacle in August 2019 as BARAD was formally granted Ecuador’s first and only certificates to cultivate hemp, and to import their proprietary, USDA phytosanitary certified hemp genetics.
This milestone is a major move for both BARAD and Blackwater Distribution South America on their mission to expand the global hemp market and to invigorate the socio-economic landscape of a bountiful Latin American country such as Ecuador. The companies bilateral approach is to cultivate and process cannabinoid rich hemp from their proprietary genetics on an industrial scale, as well as to implement a plan of action for replacing struggling agricultural crops with industrial hemp. This opens the door for Ecuador to become a leader in producing hemp bio-derivatives such as hemp biofuels and building materials.
“This is an exciting project for me because its allowing me to introduce the world to Ecuador. This project is a family affair and has brought me even closer to my family in Ecuador. It’s exciting to be able to provide such an immense opportunity for them and the nation as a whole. The economic benefits that this will bring to Ecuador are limitless,” says Brian Lopez managing partner.
This news comes in the wake of many recent initiatives and accomplishments of the company, including:
- Ecuador’s formal announcement of legalizing hemp & cannabis to a 1% THC
- Securing 120 hectares of private land for research and
- Formalizing an agreement with one of Ecuador’s most advanced universities to cultivate up to 700 hectares of land and utilize their facilities to research and develop new methods for cultivation, testing, and processing of hemp and
“The historical significance of this achievement alone has been tremendously gratifying. It has been an incomparable learning experience being able to work directly with the government officials, industry leaders, and citizens of Ecuador to create the regulatory and industrial framework of such an exciting new industry.
This is just the beginning and we can’t wait to see the vision continue to come to life.” Says Jaime Garza, managing partner.
To learn more about this project, click here www.bwdsa.com
Contact
Jaime Garza
Blackwater Distribution South America, BARAD, S.A.
