Narrator: Harvesting açaí is a dangerous job in Brazil.
Workers climb thin palm trees
deep in the Amazon rainforest.
Narrator: These berries have become one of the most popular
so-called superfoods in the US, and they aren't cheap.
One bowl can cost up to $15.
And while the berry has exploded in popularity
in recent decades, small farms like this
haven't really been able to cash in.
Narrator: To this day, most açaí in Brazil is harvested
by families on small-scale farms.
But big plantations are on the rise,
putting pressure on families like Lucas Nogueira's
and a way of life that goes back generations.
Narrator: So how did this Amazonian fruit become so trendy?
And what is the true cost
for the people who have been harvesting it for generations?
Narrator: We met Lucas at the end of the 2021 harvest,
but there were still some berries left on a few trees.
His family's farm is roughly 70 miles from Belém,
the capital of the state of Pará,
which grows more than 90% of the açaí produced in Brazil.
The only tool they used to climb
is a single piece of rope called a peconha.
They used to be made of leaves.
Narrator: Today Lucas' son, Luis Fernando, will go up.
Narrator: The trunks are so thin that climbers have to be lightweight.
Narrator: At the top, they swing from the tree
to reach multiple bunches.
Going down can be dangerous, too,
especially while carrying a large knife
and holding an armful of branches.
Dropping them could damage the fragile fruit.
Narrator: And the risks don't end at the climb.
Narrator: Lucas and his family harvested 53 baskets like these
in 2021, earning them an income of about $950.
That's as little as 20 cents per pound.
Meanwhile, a pound of processed açaí sorbet
can sell for $7 or more in the US.
Part of the issue is that Lucas has to sell his açaí
as soon as possible, because the fruit goes bad fast.
That leaves farmers who don't have processing machines
with little leverage to negotiate.
Narrator: Merchants bring the açaí to Belém by boat.
It's a race against the clock
to sell the fruit before it spoils,
so markets run overnight.
Narrator: The price of the baskets varies every day,
depending on the demand.
Narrator: Most of the açaí produced in the state stays in Brazil,
but exports have skyrocketed,
growing about 14,000% between 2011 and 2020.
Narrator: Some açaí gets transported to processing facilities
like North Açaí.
Every day, 22 tons of fruit are turned into frozen pulp,
the açaí that most people outside of Pará are familiar with.
Narrator: This is the stage where we see the biggest jump in price,
about 177% today.
Narrator: Today, more than 70% of Brazil's açaí exports
end up in the States.
Narrator: The global market for açaí
is expected to reach nearly $2.1 billion by the end of 2025.
Narrator: Açaí's popularity took off in other Brazilian states
in the 1980s, when it became part of workout culture
in Rio and São Paulo.
The bowls made regular appearances
in this popular '90s soap opera that took place at a gym.
Its high calorie content made it a perfect
pre- or post-exercise food,
and its antioxidants made it easy to brand a superfood.
That came with claims that it can solve
all sorts of health issues, like ...
Marion: Obesity, Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease,
strokes, hypertension, high risk for COVID-19,
cognitive difficulties, sexual difficulties.
Narrator: But nutritionists say this narrative
has been blown out of proportion.
Wait a minute. One food can't do that, can it?
No, of course not.
Narrator: Nonetheless, Americans were hooked
and made all kinds of açaí bowls,
mixing in fruit, granola, honey, and more.
But it's a far cry from the culture of the people
who have eaten it for much longer.
Indigenous people living in the Amazon
have harvested and consumed açaí for centuries,
maybe even millennia, and it's still a staple food
in the daily diet of people in Pará,
who eat it fresh with savory meals.
Lucas was 12 when he started climbing açaí trees,
and he still does, 36 years later.
Narrator: In recent years, açaí has also made headlines
in American and Brazilian media
for reports of children working in the industry.
But farmers like Lucas say it's always been this way,
and that it's normal for everyone in the family
to help out and learn the trade.
Narrator: Nowadays, Lucas owns this land along with 55 other families.
These kinds of settlements are called quilombos,
or a quilombola community, and many go back centuries.
They were established by enslaved Africans
and Afro-descendants who ran away into the jungle
and started communities like this to survive.
Many learn from Indigenous people
how to harvest and process native foods, including açaí.
The Brazilian government estimates
there are nearly 6,000 quilombola communities
in the country,
and a 2013 study found roughly 75%
still lived in extreme poverty.
Narrator: Lucas's açaí trees grow alongside
different native trees and plants,
but larger, monoculture plantations
that produce more fruit are on the rise.
The amount of land used for these plantations
has more than tripled since 2006.
Narrator: These plantations are often located
far away from floodplains,
where açaí trees naturally thrive.
That means big producers have to irrigate their açaí trees,
while farmers like Lucas rely on natural,
seasonal flooding from the nearby river.
Narrator: Some small producers have also been favoring açaí trees
over others, which could become an issue in the long run.
And experts worry that
as açaí's popularity continues to grow,
the cultural traditions of Pará
and the Amazon could be lost.
Narrator: Açaí is something Lucas and many people here take pride in.