Açaí bowl with peanut butter, banana, strawberry and granola. It looks so aesthetically pleasing that we couldn't resist taking a photo of it to post on Instagram. But this healthy and happy dish also has a dark side, a hidden story: the long journey of this fruit until it reaches our table.
Behind a bowl of açaí there is an entire chain that begins in one of the most biodiverse places on the planet: the Amazon. This small purple berry is produced and has traditionally been consumed in the jungle regions of countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Peru. It grows high on the stem of the Euterpe oleracea plant, an Amazonian palm tree that collectors must climb, as the açaí clusters grow between 16 and 20 meters above the ground. The process to obtain the fruits is done in a very traditional way and without personal protective equipment, so accidents are common in this industry. For this reason, journalist Terrence McCoy describes the açaí harvest as “one of the most dangerous jobs in Brazil.”
Climbing a palm tree almost 20 meters high without any protective equipment can be a death sentence in the event of a fall. A study carried out with peasant harvesters of this fruit in the Boa Vista do Acará community, in northern Brazil, found that of those interviewed, 65% knew or had suffered accidents related to the harvest of this fruit. Falls on multiple occasions result in cuts, fractures, paralysis and even death. They also found that the majority of workers do not know the protective elements to carry out their work: "30% of those interviewed did know what Personal Protective Equipment means, 70% said no," the researchers explain.
The stems of the palm tree are long and thin, so it is easy for them to break with the weight added by an adult who climbs to collect the bunches of fruit. And this is why child labor is normalized during harvest times. Being lighter, children are less likely to break the palm trees with their weight when climbing. But that does not exempt them from risks: “a child fell from the açaí tree, broke his back and can no longer walk,” they explain in the study.
This not only happens in Brazil, but also in other production points in the Amazon and the Colombian Pacific. Jairo Huertas (not his real name), who works in an açaí producing company in Valle del Cauca (Colombia) assures that at 5 or 6 years old, children are already climbing the palm tree to lower the fruit. "The adults give them money in exchange, and with that they buy cookies or sweets." Açaí has traditionally been part of the diet of some Afro-Colombian communities, and that is why it is normal for children to also participate in the harvest. But when The fruit is produced under international standards for export, measures are required to prohibit child labor and prevent workplace accidents, where companies must provide training and provide protective equipment to workers.
Neither Colombia nor Brazil have adequate legislation that regulates the occupational risks associated with the açaí harvest. David Sánchez, an expert in the production chain of this fruit in Colombia, explains that this is because “the industry is totally informal at this time. "It is part of the underground economy, and the price of the fruit still does not cover the costs of social benefits for producers." The regions where açaí is grown and harvested have historically been isolated from urban centers, where rural populations usually live in very precarious conditions. Implementing effective regulations that can be closely monitored in these areas is a complicated job. However, açaí producing companies in Colombia have been adhering to the necessary standards to export: "it is what differentiates us from the Brazilian market, where there is still no clear regulation," says Sánchez.
Without training in the use of personal protective equipment, the only instrument used to climb the palm tree is a small bundle of palm leaves or resistant fibers that the collectors tie to their bare feet to help them climb. The workers assure that this is the way in which the communities have collected açaí for generations. “Climbing with a harness can even be dangerous, if the palm tree breaks you cannot jump to another because you fall tied,” explains Ramiro Díaz (not his real name), a collector.
Açaí is a delicate and extremely perishable product, which makes not only its harvesting methods but also its marketing difficult. Once down the palm tree, the fruits do not last more than two days before starting to rot. They also cannot get wet for any reason, since that would risk the safety of the product, something that is very difficult to control in jungle regions. Furthermore, the truly usable part of the fruit is minimal, because its seed is large. “To extract one kilo of pulp we need three kilos of fruit,” explains Nubia Gómez (not her real name), who works in a Colombian açaí company. That means triple the effort for a third of the product.
For the human risks involved in harvesting, the gains are practically negligible. While a kilo of açaí in Spain sells for between 10 and 15 euros, the collectors only earn about 20 or 40 cents for each unit sold, in many cases being their only source of livelihood. They risk their lives for less than 3% of what the product costs, while the market demands more and more fruit. According to data from the analytical portal Market Data Forecast, the açaí market is valued at €1 billion, and this figure is expected to double by 2028. Without clear regulations that ensure the well-being of workers, this only means more açaí bowls produced under questionable labor conditions.
From the Amazon rainforest to our table, açaí is currently considered a very nutritious food, having multiple antioxidants and helping to reduce cholesterol levels. Perhaps it is a passing fad, like many other 'miracle' products that promise eternal youth. But for the moment it remains a risky way of making a living for thousands of farmers in the jungle.
