Stevia rebaudiana is a woody shrub that has traditionally been linked to the Guaraní people who live in the borderland between Paraguay and Brazil. Out of the stevia leaves, different glycosides may be extracted, whose outstanding sweetening properties caught the interest of corporations worldwide. The possibility of replacing traditional sucrose with stevia-based products has provoked an ongoing rush to file patents and caused the lobbying of governmental agencies. In 2016, the Guaraní filed for an access-and-benefit agreement, demanding the end of biopiracy of stevia and asking for financial reimbursement through access-and-benefit-sharing mechanisms.
