Our Açaí

Our açaí puree comes from fruits that are handpicked by farmers in the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil. The increase in global demand for the fruit is helping to preserve the Rainforest by increasing the demand for this sustainable forestry resource. It is also helping to improve livelihood opportunities and increase profits for these farming communities. Açaí fruits are picked from the açaí palm tree, which can grow to be up to 25 metres high. There are two harvesting seasons for the fruit each year.

In Brazil, açaí farmers are called peconheiros because they use an artisanal tool called a peconha, which is made out of leaves. It is a circular shape, and the farmers place it around their feet and use as an anchor to hoist themselves up the trees. Interestingly, this tool is typically used by their feet to pick the berries. Peconheiros live in small farming villages along the banks of the Amazon river. They are then transferred by river to a big market, where they are purchased by industry and sent to larger processing plants. They are then pasteurized to ensure food safety and either frozen into purées or freeze-dried into a powder form. This is all done in less than 24 hours of the fruits being picked in order to lock in nutrients and ensure optimal quality of the final product.

Read our Blog post at this link here after our 2019 trip to Brazil where we share a few more facts about Açaí that we learned (including why you can't find it fresh in grocery stores).