What the INYM is and why it's on your yerba package

The institute that regulates yerba in Argentina: inspections, statistics and the debate over leaf prices.

If you look at a package of Argentine yerba, you'll find the acronym INYM. It stands for the National Yerba Mate Institute (Instituto Nacional de la Yerba Mate).

What it is

A public agency created by Law 25,564 in 2002 and based in Posadas, Misiones. Its board includes the national government, the provinces of Misiones and Corrientes, growers, drying mills, the industry, cooperatives and rural workers.

What it does

Promotes yerba consumption at home and abroad.
Oversees production and quality: every package sold carries a control stamp or code.
Keeps the sector's statistics: how much leaf is harvested, how much yerba leaves the mills and how much is exported.

The price of green leaf

One of its most debated jobs was setting the minimum price growers are paid for green leaf and for canchada (coarsely milled) yerba. In late 2023, a decree took away that power, and since then the price has been freely negotiated.

Why it matters

Behind every package are thousands of small growers in Misiones and Corrientes. Decisions about prices determine whether they can keep making a living from yerba.