Organic Stevia In The Raw® gets its delicious sweetness primarily from the stevia plant leaf. The stevia plant is native to South America and has been used indigenously as a sweetener for over 400 years. Stevia is now grown and harvested all over the world. It has also been vastly popular in Japan for more than six decades, now representing 41% of that country’s sugar substitute market. Stevia leaf extract is found as an ingredient in many products, such as ice cream, bread, and soft drinks, throughout Asia, South America, and the world.