Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is a small perennial shrub in the sunflower family, native to Paraguay and Brazil. The leaves contain steviol glycosides — primarily stevioside and rebaudioside A — which are 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar but contribute no calories. The Guaraní people of Paraguay have used stevia leaves to sweeten drinks and food for centuries.
Stevia-derived sweeteners have become widely available globally since the early 2000s, as food regulators in Australia, the US, EU, and elsewhere approved purified steviol glycosides for use. They are sold as tabletop sweeteners, added to soft drinks, yoghurts, and other processed foods, and used in home cooking and baking.
The sweetness profile of stevia differs from sugar — it has a slower onset and can carry a bitter or liquorice-like aftertaste, particularly in older or less refined extracts. Modern processing techniques and selective breeding of high-rebaudioside varieties have significantly reduced these off-flavours, making stevia one of the most commercially successful plant-derived sweeteners.
How it's produced
Stevia is grown as a perennial crop in warm, humid climates. The plant is propagated from cuttings or seedlings and planted in rows like other herb crops. It is harvested by cutting the stems and leaves, typically two to three times per growing season. Major production regions include China (which produces the large majority of the world’s stevia leaf), Paraguay, Kenya, and parts of India.
After harvest, the leaves are dried and then processed to extract the sweet steviol glycosides. Extraction typically involves steeping the dried leaves in water, filtering, and using food-grade solvents or resins to purify the target compounds. The resulting extract is dried into a white powder or crystallised. The whole dried leaf is also sold but is less commonly used in commercial food production, as food regulations in most countries (including Australia) require the use of purified extracts rather than crude leaf.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated from its category — typical for sugar, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
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