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International Trade Opportunity Report - The Brazilian Açaí Berry

August 10 2009 - by Dan Vallada, FoodBizDaily.com Sao Paulo Bureau

AÇAÍ

The açaí fruit (pronounced "Ah-Sigh-EE”) was almost unknown outside of the Amazon until a few years ago, but after being made the "fetish drink" of sports in Rio de Janeiro, it won the world driven by advertising on the Internet for its incredible benefits to one's health.

Health Properties:

Source of youth, the açaí contains anthocyanin a type of enzyme that prevents the early aging process. The fruit is rich in calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin C and B complex. Moreover it regulates intestinal transit. As a natural energetic it combats physical and mental stress.

Nutrition:

Açaí Pulp is one of the best ways to consume açaí, because it retains most of the antioxidants and nutrients of the açaí berry without changing the taste. After harvested the açaí berrymust be processed into frozen pulp within 24 hours or less, otherwise it can spoil and loose its nutrients.

The berry’s high fatty acids content (Omega 3,6,9), makes it an extremely perishable fruit and therefore cannot survive the trip from tree to the shelves of grocery stores, which means it must be preserved if it is to be transported.

Preserving the berry’s nutrition is a careful process. If exposed to heat in freeze-drying, or mixed with other juices, sugars, or flavor enhancers, the benefits of the berries may be compromised.

Choosing the products that are not blended with a variety of other juices or are heavily processed is the best choice, labeled as ‘pure açaí', or buying açaí which is unfiltered and free from additives and preservatives.

International Market:

According to W&G Global Trade the açaí sales from Brazil are now up to U$45 million/year due to its popularity around the world. People are more concern about health and health aging so the açaí’s market has an enormous potential to keep growing.

At the same time, the access to the fruit is somehow restricted since there are only a few areas in the Brazilian territory that is possible to find it. This area is basically in the states of Amazonas, Amapá and Pará.

During the good season of açaí fruit that goes from November to March, around 1,000 job opportunities are created.

The government of Pará has created a partnership with other countries in order to establish good and safe export channels. The government is also investing on farmers which are being able to receive all they need to produce the high quality fruits fulfilling the standards requested by a demanding market.

The state is delivering environmental permits for the exploration of açaí palm trees and signed a technical cooperation term for the industry. With this, the agricultural activity is guaranteed to be environmentally correct. The environmental license gives guarantees to the producer and works as a kind of green label, required by buyers markets of Europe, which sell products that do not bring harm to the environment.

Brazil exports around 1 thousand tonnes/month mainly to Japan, Holland, USA and Italy. The fruit goes in the form of a mixture that consists of the açaí juice blended with other products such as acerola and guaraná.

Export Prices:

Prices for açaí berry products are higher than other fruits because of the processing costs. Açaí is a highly perishable fruit that must be processed immediately after it's picked otherwise it just rots.

The FOB price for traders to export the commodity are as follows, according to information from Guilherme Schmidt Carpes, General Manager of W&G Global Trade in Florianópolis, Brazil:

Açaí Pasteurized 12% Solids Single Refined at U$2,63/Kg
Açaí Pasteurized 12% Solids Single Refined ORGANIC at US$2,89/Kg

Açaí Pasteurized 12% Solids Double Refined at U$2,89/Kg
Açaí Pasteurized 12% Solids Double Refined ORGANIC at U$3,15/Kg
Açaí Pasteurized 12% Solids Double Refined ORGANIC at U$3,42/Kg

Açaí Pasteurized 14% Solids Single Refined at U$2,89/Kg
Açaí Pasteurized 14% Solids Single Refined ORGANIC at U$3,15/Kg
Açaí Pasteurized 14% Solids Double Refined at U$3,15/Kg

Domestic Market:

The açaí fruit seems to have conquered the world. However, the state of Amapá claims it has began to feel the effects of exports growth of the frozen açaí pulp: shortage of the product and price increase for local population.

To find solutions that ensure the domestic supply at affordable prices, the state of Amapá has been promoting debates in which authorities discuss topics such as the research focused on the technology used for managing native açaí plantations with minimal impact of the forest by getting the most of the plantations, even between crops.

The idea is to promote the fruit productivity all year long, and at the same time, preserving the forest. The “Açaí Law” aims to balance the açaí production against demand and keep prices affordable to the majority of the population, especially between seasons.

Having the appropriate management of açaizais (açaí plantations), the production of the açaí fruits, the main product of agribusiness of the state of Amapá, may increase by up to five times in a period of seven years which means fruits for both national and international markets.

The state of Pará consumes around 400 tonnes/month, the state of Rio de Janeiro 500 tonnes/month and São Paulo 150 tonnes.

Currently, the domestic production of açaí is around 123 thousand tons/month and the Pará state is responsible for over 92% of the total, moving annually around U$63 million.

US Market:

According to Spins (Schaumburg, Illinois) a market research and consulting firm for the natural products industry, Americans spent more than $108 million on açaí products in the 52 weeks ending Feb. 21, up from just over U$62 million the year before.

U.S. consumers are turning "a typical food of the poor in a kind of delicacy," as informed Oscar Nogueira, a specialist in fruit of Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation).

Since the U.S. demand took off, at the beginning of this decade, the wholesale price of fruit in the shot about 60 times, data shown by Embrapa. In Brazil, producers typically sell their crop in the wicker baskets, which contain about 30 pounds of fruit. Since 2000, the price of a basket of açaí increased from R$1 to R$60.

In 2008, exports from Pará, the largest producer of açaí in Brazil, grew 53%, or approximately one fourth of the season, according to local government.

Introduced to the United States in 2000 by brothers Jeremy and Ryan Black after Ryan and a friend learned about the berries and their purported health benefits while visiting Brazil, açaí. They created Sambazon (San Clemente CA) and today the company is the global market leader in açaí. The company’s 2004 revenue was U$3.1 million. In 2006 it was U$12 million and in 2007 U$15.6 million.

There are a lot of companies selling products that are supposed to be made from açaí berries but are actually not, advertising promos that turn out to be complete scams. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is working with CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest) to shed light on açaí Internet scams.

Sambazon, which sells its products in health food stores and on its own website, is not among the companies accused of dirty dealings and in fact helps scammed customers find their way to the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

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