The path through the history of yerba mate is not an easy one; this plant is an indelible mark in the development of the social, economic and cultural history of southern South America, especially in the region where the  Ilex paraguariensis , by its nature, dominates the landscape, that is, the La Plata basin.

In order to understand, at least initially, the relevance that yerba mate had and continues to have in South American society, we must begin to know its history one step at a time. Therefore, we at CEDErva propose a narrative of this journey through time and space, where the characters, periods and places of this story will be presented progressively, showing how yerba mate, little by little, became the economic and cultural icon of this region, from pre-Columbian times to the beginning of the 20th century, and how the tradition was transformed and perpetuated over time, reaching the present day as an identity, in reference to its own history, and possibility , with a future that continues to be very prosperous.

Thus, we present the environmental and social history of Erva-mate in three stages, according to the historical periods and the characters involved in the story: