Fruit of Good Intentions? ESG Contradictions in Brazil’s AçaíBerry Supply Chain

CSR/ECO/ESG
Pedro De Oliveira OnofrioLeave a Comment on Fruit of Good Intentions? ESG Contradictions in Brazil’s AçaíBerry Supply Chain

*** Article written in honour of Indigenous Peoples Day in Brazil *** The global commodification of the Amazonian açaí berry has placed Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) narratives under intense scrutiny, raising questions about whether the “superfood” boom benefits or exploits its original custodians. This article deconstructs the contradictions within the supply chain through a legal and sociological analysis of the Brazilian açaí trade. It illustrates how strategies of “ancient greenwashing” commodify Indigenous imagery to drive value while simultaneously rendering the actual producers invisible, thereby sustaining neo-colonial structures marked by child labor, violence, and food insecurity. The analysis argues that current voluntary sustainability standards are insufficient to curb these abuses, allowing “conscious commerce” to function as a cover for extractive practices. By examining the disparity between global market success and local deprivation, the article concludes that meaningful CSR requires a shift from “good intentions” to reparative justice. It suggests that to ensure accountability, governance must transition toward mandatory legal frameworks and locally grounded certifications that center the rights and voices of traditional peoples. ***

A surreal illustration of an açaí bowl depicted as a miniature landscape. Inside the bowl, two children harvest berries on one side while a man stands in swirling purple pulp. On the opposite side, a tractor drives over cleared soil next to tree stumps and a burning patch of forest. Palm trees rise from the rim of the bowl, and a few açaí berries and spilled powder sit in the foreground. The scene contrasts traditional manual labor with industrial agriculture and environmental destruction.
Symbolic Depiction of the Açaí Supply Chain

Introduction

The Amazonian açaí berry has achieved international commodity status, drawing worldwide attention to its market value.[1] It has become Brazil’s most valuable non-timber forest product,[2] with exports rising largely due to demand from the United States.[3] This rise has prompted conflicting narratives: businesses promoting “conscious commerce” and “sense of community”;[4] the government expanding its agribusiness international trade;[5] third parties trying to expose issues,[6] and giving platform for historically silenced groups to voice the impacts of açaí’s commodification.[7]

A thorough analysis reveals practices that sustain neo-colonial structures and conceal the reality behind superfoods.[8] These strategies have been referred to as “ancient greenwashing”, a specific form of greenwashing tailored to culturally significant products.[9]  This article examines these contradictions through an ESG lens, assessing the effects of large-scale açaí exploitation on the Amazon’s ecosystem, local economy, and traditional peoples.

Environmental and Social: “Our territory is our body, our spirit” – Sônia Guajajara[10]

Firstly, it is essential to acknowledge that for the diverse populations of the Amazon region, land transcends its economic function; territory constitutes the roots for collective belonging and shapes their cultural identities.[11] Açaí has been part of these cultures for thousands of years, nurturing beliefs and lives.[12] Riverine populations emerged through colonisation – both native and non-native to the land – and sociopolitical realities left them overly dependent on açaí for both food and income.[13] Though the açaí trade has brought some economic gains to traditional peoples,[14] these benefits have not been equitable enough to hide the adverse effects.[15]

Bioeconomy commodities are often marketed to obscure the neo-colonialist realities embedded in their production chains.[16] In the case of açaí, a primary hidden aspect is that its globalised form does not reflect the native traditions from which it originated.[17] It has been carefully rebranded to target capitalist ideals and patterns of consumer behaviour.[18] Indigenous imagery is often misappropriated to evoke ancestral value,[19] whilst the participation of riverine communities is erased.[20] These communities embody the legacy of colonial poverty and rank amongst some of the most extreme cases of hardship in Brazil,[21] which disrupts the marketable narrative of sustainability.[22] As a result, businesses render them invisible,[23] as their visibility poses a significant risk to companies that claim to “alleviate poverty” through ethical operations.[24]

For riverine communities, açaí is often the primary or even the only source of food or trade they rely on each day, especially in poorer and more remote areas.[25] As riverine people are positioned at the lowest tier of the supply chain,[26] competing with dollar-priced variations has reduced their access to açaí, threatening their food security.[27] For reference, the State of Pará is Brazil’s leading producer and also the northern state with the highest rate of food insecurity.[28] This makes the unequal distribution of profits and lack of diversification in extractivist practices not merely environmental issues, but serious human rights concerns.[29] Furthermore, traditional peoples continue to perform one of Brazil’s most dangerous jobs,[30] and yet again are subjected to the same violence, invisibility and exploitation they have endured for generations.[31]  

Child labour is rather prevalent,[32] despite being explicitly prohibited by international[33] and domestic[34] law. Often, society and even the authorities responsible for eradicating child labour end up reinforcing the very discourse that normalises it, attributing it to the traditional practices of açaí-producing communities.[35] Notably, most affected children are Black or mixed-race,[36] with families reliant on state benefits because informal labour is so widespread in the açaí industry.[37] According to recent data, in the state of Pará, the population living in extreme poverty is concentrated in rural areas (57.5%) and is predominantly composed of individuals who identify as Black or Brown (86.7%); mostly made up of children and young people up to 24 years old (58.1%), and most (56.2%) either have no formal schooling (21.1%) or did not finish elementary education (35.1%).[38] This persistence reflects racial and economic marginalisation,[39] as well as corporate negligence sustained by impunity.[40] Therefore, the real tradition that perpetuates incidence of child labour and which needs to be changed is the ineffective public policy and business exploitation of social vulnerabilities.[41]

Large scale production is also causing environmental concerns due to the expansion of corporate farming.[42] There are reports of increasing problems affecting local communities, caused by the monoculture systems.[43] As production occurs in or near protected areas, labourers  face violence from both criminal and corporate actors,[44] which prompted federal intervention to safeguard human rights amid alarming levels of conflict.[45] Considering these issues, the green capitalist approach to food commodities is no different from the extractive colonialism of the 1500s, in which cultural dominance and the pursuit of profit were prioritised over human rights and dignity.[46]

A supply-chain diagram illustrating how global açaí markets extract value from riverine and Indigenous communities. The graphic shows three levels: global trade at the top with high prices and displacement; invisible producers at the base with dependence, harsh conditions, and erasure; and a middle layer labeled ancient greenwashing, including marketing, cultural appropriation, and obscuring hardship. Hand-drawn black-ink illustrations depict global trade, hidden laborers, and greenwashed marketing imagery.
Figure 1. The Hierarchy of Invisibility: A Supply Chain Schematic. Illustrates the three-tier structure (invisible producers, ancient greenwashing, global trade) discussed in the preceding section.

Governance: “Nothing is for us without us” – Samela Sateré Mawé[47]

Despite existing legislation, regulation of the açaí sector remains insufficient, given the scale of the business and the vulnerability of producers.[48] The sector relies mostly on Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS), which is also an issue. Recent studies highlighted that weak traceability and a lack of independent verification of corporate claims compromise the consistency and credibility of ESG disclosures.[49] Ongoing legal cases have confronted some of these claims – from greenwashing accusations in the United States linked to child labour,[50] to charges of biopiracy and disregard for traditional knowledge currently under review in Brazilian courts.[51] To date, issues such as these remain unaddressed and invisible to most international consumers.[52]

The Brazilian government has been under pressure for its slow response to environmental challenges inherited from former President Bolsonaro’s administration,[53] and has faced criticism due to President Lula’s support for oil extraction near the Amazon River.[54] A recent ordinance granted authorisation for businesses to expand açaí farming to other Brazilian states,[55] based on a climate risk approach.[56] On closer examination, this decision seems to circumvent the current issues and overlook commitments set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.[57] The measure appears to prioritise ensuring açaí supply is widely available, benefiting businesses’ expansion rather than traditional communities’ interests. This may provide solid grounds for future legal disputes, given the state’s constitutional duty to protect traditional peoples’ rights.[58]

Governance becomes a challenge when public and corporate actors compromise non-negotiable human rights – particularly the protection of traditional peoples and territories – by circumventing laws and regulations for economic gain.[59] NGOs, local governments, and community groups have been working collaboratively through consultation and participation.[60] This may foster a more responsive and inclusive governance model, less reliant on state enforcement and better able to address political imbalances.[61] Mandatory local certification schemes and geographical indications (GI)[62] – supported by new protections under the recently signed WIPO Treaty[63] – may offer an alternative to private and voluntary certification systems.[64] Some regions have already secured GI recognition,[65] providing a model that could be scaled to strengthen protections for traditional communities and knowledge.

Conclusion

The açaí trade is at the heart of Indigenous and riverine peoples’ culture and economy, yet its commodification has undeniably caused some harm. For supply chains to reflect genuine ESG values, governance goals must be clear, enforceable, and grounded in the participation of traditional peoples – by listening to their voices and protecting their rights. Without structural change, these communities will remain excluded from decisions that directly affect their lives. In countries shaped by colonialism, true sustainability requires reparative justice. Ethics must therefore replace ESG actions, often rooted in the discourse of progress and good intentions towards traditional peoples and their lands. Such behaviour echoes the deceptive strategies of colonialism, whose consequences these communities have long endured and resisted for centuries.

[1] International Labour Organization, ‘Diagnóstico Rápido Setorial da Produção de Açaí na Amazônia Brasileira’ [Rapid Sectoral Diagnosis of Açaí Production in the Brazilian Amazon] (5 August 2024) <https://perma.cc/Q63N-Y2H4> accessed 19 April 2025 7, 17

[2] Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE, Brazil), ‘Valor de produção da silvicultura e da extração vegetal cresce 11,2% e soma R$ 37,9 bilhões’ [Value of forestry and plant extraction production grows by 11.2% and totals R$ 37.9 billion] (26 March 2024) <agenciadenoticias.ibge.gov.br/agencia-noticias/2012-agencia-de-noticias/noticias/41404-valor-de-producao-da-silvicultura-e-da-extracao-vegetal-cresce-11-2-e-soma-r-37-9-bilhoes> accessed 19 April 2025; Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE, Brazil), ‘Produção de Açaí (cultivo) no Brasil’ [Açaí Production (Cultivation) in Brazil] (2023) <www.ibge.gov.br/explica/producao-agropecuaria/acai-cultivo/br>

[3] Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA, Brazil), ‘Mapa conquista 11 novos mercados e amplia marca histórica para 89 desde 2023’ [MAPA Secures 11 New Markets and Expands Historic Milestone to 89 Since 2023] (8 February 2024) <www.gov.br/agricultura/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/mapa-conquista-11-novos-mercados-e-amplia-marca-historica-para-89-desde-2023> accessed 19 April 2025; ILO (n 1) 17

[4] Christopher Marquis, ‘How Sambazon is Making Açaí a Touchstone of Conscious Commerce’ (Forbes, 9 May 2022) <www.forbes.com/sites/christophermarquis/2022/05/09/how-sambazon-is-making-aai-a-touchstone-of-conscious-commerce/> accessed 19 April 2025; Despina Karpathiou, ‘From açaí to global success: Georgios Frangulis shares how he built Oakberry’ (The Greek Herald, 14 February 2025) <greekherald.com.au/community/1-people-community/from-acai-to-global-success-georgios-frangulis-shares-how-he-built-oakberry/> accessed 19 April 2025

[5] Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA, Brazil), ‘Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock sets record for Brazilian agribusiness market access in 2024’ (8 January 2025) <www.gov.br/agricultura/en/news/ministry-of-agriculture-and-livestock-sets-record-for-brazilian-agribusiness-market-access-in-2024> accessed 19 April 2025

[6]Al Jazeera, ‘Acai berry craze boosts incomes in the Brazilian Amazon, but at a cost’ (Al Jazeera, 28 August 2023) <www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/8/28/acai-berry-craze-boosts-incomes-in-the-brazilian-amazon-but-at-a-cost> accessed 19 April 2025

[7] Terry Slavin, ‘Can the bioeconomy help save the Amazon from deforestation?’ (Reuters, 18 December 2024) <www.reuters.com/sustainability/land-use-biodiversity/can-bioeconomy-help-save-amazon-deforestation-2024-12-18/> accessed 19 April 2025​

[8] Christine Parker, Hope Johnson and Janine Curll, ‘Consumer Power to Change the Food System? A Critical Reading of Food Labels as Governance Spaces: The Case of Acai Berry Superfoods’ (2019) Journal of Food Law & Policy, 15(1) <scholarworks.uark.edu/jflp/vol15/iss1/1> 27; Chelsea Fisher and Clara Albacete, ‘Ancient Greenwashing: On Food Justice and Civilizations in the Supermarket’ (2023) Gastronomica 23(3) <doi.org/10.1525/gfc.2023.23.3.46> 49

[9] Fisher and Albacete(n 8) 47

[10] Sônia Guajajara, ‘Amazonian Indigenous Leader Sônia Guajajara: “In the Flames, They See Money”’ (Inequality.org, 16 October 2020) <inequality.org/article/indigenous-amazon-corporate-greed/> accessed 19 April 2025

[11] Tomas Rosenfeld, Benno Pokorny, Jacques Marcovitch and Peter Poschen, ‘BIOECONOMY Based on Non-Timber Forest Products for Development and Forest Conservation – Untapped Potential or False Hope? A Systematic Review for the Brazilian Amazon’ (2024) 163 Forest Policy and Economics <doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2024.103228> 5

[12] Parker, Johnson and Curll(n 8) 21

[13] Parker, Johnson and Curll(n 8) 21, 27-28

[14] Ibid 26; ILO(n 1) 50

[15] Rosenfeld and others (n 11) 7; Parker, Johnson and Curll(n 8) 27; Amazônia Real, ‘O açaí e a crise climática’ [Açaí and the climate crisis] (21 July 2023) <amazoniareal.com.br/especiais/o-acai-e-a-crise-climatica/> accessed 19 April 2025; ILO(n 1) 51-52

[16] Fisher and Albacete(n 8) 50; Parker, Johnson and Curll(n 8) 26, 35

[17] Rafael Neves Fonseca and Thiago Lima, ‘The Rising Financialization of Açaí in the Amazon: Evidence of an Ongoing Process’ (2024) Latin American Perspectives 51(1) <doi.org/10.1177/0094582X241232414> 252;  Parker, Johnson and Curll(n 8) 22

[18] Paula Veloz, ‘Value Chains and Soft Commodities in Amazonia: Regulatory Prospects for Commodified Biodiversity According to the Glocal Production Chain of Açaí’ (2020) 15(2–3) Journal of Land Use Science 389 <doi.org/10.1080/1747423X.2019.1694663> 390

[19] Fisher and Albacete(n 8) 47; Parker, Johnson and Curll(n 8) 21

[20] Parker, Johnson and Curll(n 8) 29

[21] Eduardo S Brondízio, Yildiz Aumeeruddy-Thomas, Peter Bates, Joji Carino, Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, Maurizio Farhan Ferrari, Kathleen Galvin, Victoria Reyes-García, Pamela McElwee, Zsolt Molnár, Aibek Samakov and Uttam Babu Shrestha, ‘Locally Based, Regionally Manifested, and Globally Relevant: Indigenous and Local Knowledge, Values, and Practices for Nature’ (2021) 46 Annual Review of Environment and Resources 481 <doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-012220-012127> 486; ILO(n 1) 53-54

[22] ILO(n 1) 66; Parker, Johnson and Curll(n 8) 28

[23] Fisher and Albacete(n 8) 48, 50

[24] Parker, Johnson and Curll(n 8) 3, 26

[25] ILO(n 1) 17

[26] Érica de Kássia Costa da Silva and Vanessa Rocha Ferreira, ‘O trabalho do “peconheiro” na região amazônica: uma análise das condições de trabalho na colheita do açaí a partir do conceito de trabalho decente’ [The work of the “peconheiro” in the Amazon region: an analysis of working conditions in açaí harvesting based on the concept of decent work] (2020) 6(1) Revista do Direito do Trabalho e Meio Ambiente do Trabalho 57 <doi.org/10.26668/IndexLawJournals/2525-9857/2020.v6i1.6456> 68

[27] ILO(n 1) 52, 90

[28] Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), ‘Segurança alimentar nos domicílios brasileiros volta a crescer em 2023’ [Food security in Brazilian households increases again in 2023] (Agência de Notícias, 25 April 2024) <agenciadenoticias.ibge.gov.br/agencia-noticias/2012-agencia-de-noticias/noticias/39838-seguranca-alimentar-nos-domicilios-brasileiros-volta-a-crescer-em-2023> accessed 19 April 2025; IBGE(n 2)

[29] Christine Parker and Hope Johnson, ‘From Food Chains to Food Webs: Regulating Capitalist Production and Consumption in the Food System’ (2019) 15 Annual Review of Law and Social Science 205 <doi.org/10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-101518-042908> 218; ILO(n 1) 8, 27

[30] Silva and Ferreira(n 26) 68; ILO(n 1) 31

[31] Brondízio and others (n 21) 486; Silva and Ferreira (n 26) 57, 61

[32] Silva and Ferreira(n 26) 61; ILO(n 1) 83, 93

[33] International Labour Organization (ILO), Convention No 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (adopted 17 June 1999, entered into force 19 November 2000) ILO C182

[34] Brazil, Federal Constitution (5 October 1988) art 7(XXXIII); Brazil, Statute of the Child and Adolescent (Law No 8.069/1990) art 60; Brazil, Consolidation of Labour Laws (CLT) (enacted by Decree-Law No 5.452 of 1 May 1943) arts 402, 441; Brazil, Decree No 6.481 of 12 June 2008 (approving the list of the worst forms of child labour)

[35] Terrence McCoy, ‘Brazil reckons with dark side of açaí: Rampant, dangerous child labor’ (The Washington Post, 20 November 2023) <www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/11/20/brazil-acai-child-labor/> accessed 19 April 2025; ILO(n 1) 39

[36] Criança Livre de Trabalho Infantil [Children Free from Child Labour] Estatísticas sobre o Trabalho Infantil no Brasil [Statistics of Child Labour in Brazil] (2024) <livredetrabalhoinfantil.org.br/trabalho-infantil/estatisticas/> accessed 19 April 2025; ILO(n 1) 74-75

[37] ILO(n 1) 35

[38] ILO(n 1) 54

[39] Brondízio and others (n 21) 486, ILO(n 1) 91

[40] ILO(n 1) 76

[41] Parker, Johnson and Curll(n 8) 26, 35

[42] Madson Freitas, José Magalhães, Carlos Carmona, Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez, Ima Vieira and Marcelo Tabarelli, ‘Intensification of açaí palm management largely impoverishes tree assemblages in the Amazon estuarine forest’ (2021) 261 Biological Conservation 109251 <doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109251> 8; Fonseca and Lima (n 17) 249; ILO (n 1) 89

[43] Amazônia Real(n 15); Slavin(n 7); ILO(n 1) 64

[44] Danilo Urzedo and Pratichi Chatterjee, ‘The Colonial Reproduction of Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon: Violence Against Indigenous Peoples for Land Development’ (2021) 23(2) Journal of Genocide Research 302, <doi.org/10.1080/14623528.2021.1905758> 321; Brondízio and others (n 21) 489; ILO(n 1) 51

[45] Federal Public Prosecutor (MPF), Recommendation No 10 of 9 November 2023: Protection of Human Rights Defenders in the State of Pará – Administrative Procedure No 1.23.002.000390/2020-08 <https://perma.cc/DT7E-U8SW>; Federal Public Prosecutor (MPF), ‘MPF recomenda medidas para garantir a segurança dos defensores e defensoras dos direitos humanos no Pará’ [The Federal Prosecution Office (MPF) recommends measures to ensure the safety of human rights defenders in Pará] (MPF, 10 November 2023) <www.mpf.mp.br/pa/sala-de-imprensa/noticias-pa/mpf-recomenda-medidas-para-garantir-a-seguranca-dos-defensores-e-defensoras-dos-direitos-humanos-no-para> accessed 19 April 2025

[46] Urzedo and Chatterjee(n 43) 323; Fonseca and Lima (n 17) 253

[47] Carolina Conti, ‘“We are digital guerrilla fighters”: Q&A with young Indigenous activist Samela Sateré-Mawé’ (Mongabay, 23 December 2022) <news.mongabay.com/2022/12/we-are-digital-guerrilla-fighters-qa-with-young-indigenous-activist-samela-satere-mawe/> accessed 19 April 2025

[48] Veloz (n 18) 395-396

[49] Kairo Fernandes Martins and Denilson Teixeira, ‘Assessing the Impact of Voluntary Sustainability Standards in Amazonian Enterprises Involved in the Açaí Value Chain’ (2024) 10 Heliyon <doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34157> 1, 18

[50] Corporate Accountability Lab v Sambazon, Inc, No 23-CV-1020 (DC Ct App 14 November 2023) (on appeal from DC Super Ct, Case No 2023 CAB 1954) <www.dccourts.gov/node/26777> accessed 19 April 2025; Avery Kelly, ‘CAL Sues over Sustainability Marketing for Açaí Likely Produced with Hazardous Child Labor’ (Corporate Accountability Lab Blog, 16 October 2023) <corpaccountabilitylab.org/calblog/2023/10/16/cal-sues-over-sustainability-marketing-for-aa-likely-produced-with-hazardous-child-labor> accessed 19 April 2025

[51] Ministério Público Federal v Sambazon Inc, Case Nos 1000872-15.2018.4.01.3100 and 0004849-32.2018.4.01.3100 (Brazil, Federal Court of the 1st Region)

[52] Silva and Ferreira (n 26) 66

[53] Urzedo and Chatterjee(n 43) 322

[54] Fabiano Maisonnave, ‘Indigenous Groups Gathering in Brazil’s Capital to Protest President’s Land Grant Decisions’ (The Independent, 22 April 2024) <www.independent.co.uk/news/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva-ap-brazil-congress-jair-bolsonaro-b2532902.html> accessed 19 April 2025; Reuters, ‘Brazil’s Lula to Meet with Environment Agency Over Petrobras Bid to Drill Near Mouth of Amazon’ (Reuters, 12 February 2025) <www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-lula-meet-with-environment-agency-petrobras-bid-drill-near-mouth-amazon-2025-02-12/> accessed 19 April 2025; Lais Morais, ‘Brazil’s Indigenous Leader Raoni Says He Is Against Drilling for Oil in Amazon Region’ (Reuters, 19 April 2025) <www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/brazils-indigenous-leader-raoni-says-he-is-against-drilling-oil-amazon-region-2025-04-19/> accessed 19 April 2025

[55] Brazil, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Secretariat of Agricultural Policy, Ordinance SPA/MAPA nº 5, de 20 February 2024 (Diário Oficial da União, 27 February 2024)

[56] Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, ‘Açaí ganha o primeiro Zoneamento Agrícola de Risco Climático’ [Açaí receives its first Agricultural Zoning for Climate Risk] (22 March 2024) https://www.gov.br/agricultura/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/acai-ganha-o-primeiro-zoneamento-agricola-de-risco-climatico accessed 19 April 2025

[57] United Nations General Assembly, Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (21 October 2015) UNGA Res 70/1, UN Doc A/RES/70/1, Goals 2, 10, 13 and 15

[58] Brazil, Federal Constitution (5 October 1988) art 231

[59] Parker and Johnson(n 29) 211; Urzedo and Chatterjee(n 43) 320

[60] ILO(n 1) 37; Government of the State of Pará(n 11) 104; Fonseca and Lima (n 17) 253

[61] Rosenfeld and others (n 11) 6

[62] Veloz (n 18) 398-399

[63] World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge (adopted 24 May 2024, not yet in force)

[64] ILO(n 1) 39

[65] National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), ‘INPI reconhece a primeira IG para uma localidade produtora de açaí’ [The INPI recognises the first Geographical Indication (GI) for an açaí-producing locality] (13 September 2023) <www.gov.br/inpi/pt-br/central-de-conteudo/noticias/inpi-reconhece-a-primeira-ig-para-uma-localidade-produtora-de-acai> accessed 19 April 2025

References

Primary Sources

Law, Treaties, and Soft-Law

  1. International Labour Organization (ILO), Convention No 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (adopted 17 June 1999, entered into force 19 November 2000) ILO C182
  2. World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge (adopted 24 May 2024, not yet in force)
  3. United Nations General Assembly, Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (21 October 2015) UNGA Res 70/1, UN Doc A/RES/70/1
  4. Brazil, Federal Constitution (5 October 1988)
  5. Brazil, Consolidation of Labour Laws (CLT) (enacted by Decree-Law No 5.452 of 1 May 1943)
  6. Brazil, Statute of the Child and Adolescent (Law No 8.069/1990)
  7. Brazil, Decree No 6.481 of 12 June 2008 (approving the list of the worst forms of child labour)
  8. Brazil, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Secretariat of Agricultural Policy, Ordinance SPA/MAPA nº 5, de 20 February 2024 (Diário Oficial da União, 27 February 2024)

Case Law

  1. Corporate Accountability Lab v Sambazon, Inc, No 23-CV-1020 (DC Ct App 14 November 2023) (on appeal from DC Super Ct, Case No 2023 CAB 1954) <www.dccourts.gov/node/26777> accessed 19 April 2025
  2. Ministério Público Federal v Sambazon Inc, Case Nos 1000872-15.2018.4.01.3100 and 0004849-32.2018.4.01.3100 (Brazil, Federal Court of the 1st Region)

Reports and Official Documents

  1. Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), ‘Produção de Açaí (cultivo) no Brasil’ [Açaí Production (Cultivation) in Brazil] (2023) <www.ibge.gov.br/explica/producao-agropecuaria/acai-cultivo/br> accessed 19 April 2025
  2. Criança Livre de Trabalho Infantil [Children Free from Child Labour] Estatísticas sobre o Trabalho Infantil no Brasil [Statistics of Child Labour in Brazil] (2024) <livredetrabalhoinfantil.org.br/trabalho-infantil/estatisticas/> accessed 19 April 2025
  3. Federal Public Prosecutor (MPF), Recommendation No 10 of 9 November 2023: Protection of Human Rights Defenders in the State of Pará – Administrative Procedure No 1.23.002.000390/2020-08 <https://perma.cc/DT7E-U8SW>
  4. International Labour Organization, ‘Diagnóstico Rápido Setorial da Produção de Açaí na Amazônia Brasileira’ [Rapid Sectoral Diagnosis of Açaí Production in the Brazilian Amazon] (5 August 2024) <https://perma.cc/Q63N-Y2H4> accessed 19 April 2025 7, 17

Secondary Sources

Journal Articles

  1. Brondízio ES, Aumeeruddy-Thomas Y, Bates P, Carino J, Fernández-Llamazares Á, Ferrari MF, Galvin K, Reyes-García V, McElwee P, Molnár Z, Samakov A and Shrestha UB, ‘Locally Based, Regionally Manifested, and Globally Relevant: Indigenous and Local Knowledge, Values, and Practices for Nature’ (2021) 46 Annual Review of Environment and Resources 481 <doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-012220-012127>
  2. Fisher C, and Albacete C, ‘Ancient Greenwashing: On Food Justice and Civilizations in the Supermarket’ (2023) Gastronomica 23(3) <doi.org/10.1525/gfc.2023.23.3.46>
  3. Fonseca RN, and Lima T, ‘The Rising Financialization of Açaí in the Amazon: Evidence of an Ongoing Process’ (2024) Latin American Perspectives 51(1) <doi.org/10.1177/0094582X241232414>
  4. Freitas M, Magalhães J, Carmona C, Arroyo-Rodríguez V, Vieira I, and Tabarelli M, ‘Intensification of açaí palm management largely impoverishes tree assemblages in the Amazon estuarine forest’ (2021) 261 Biological Conservation 109251 <doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109251>
  5. Martins KF, and Teixeira D, ‘Assessing the Impact of Voluntary Sustainability Standards in Amazonian Enterprises Involved in the Açaí Value Chain’ (2024) 10 Heliyon <doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34157>
  6. Parker C, and Johnson H, ‘From Food Chains to Food Webs: Regulating Capitalist Production and Consumption in the Food System’ (2019) 15 Annual Review of Law and Social Science 205 <doi.org/10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-101518-042908>
  7. Parker C, Johnson H, and Curll J, ‘Consumer Power to Change the Food System? A Critical Reading of Food Labels as Governance Spaces: The Case of Acai Berry Superfoods’ (2019) Journal of Food Law & Policy, 15(1) <scholarworks.uark.edu/jflp/vol15/iss1/1>
  8. Rosenfeld T, Pokorny B, Marcovitch J, and Poschen P, ‘BIOECONOMY Based on Non-Timber Forest Products for Development and Forest Conservation – Untapped Potential or False Hope? A Systematic Review for the Brazilian Amazon’ (2024) 163 Forest Policy and Economics <doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2024.103228>
  9. Silva EKC da,  and Ferreira VR, ‘O trabalho do “peconheiro” na região amazônica: uma análise das condições de trabalho na colheita do açaí a partir do conceito de trabalho decente’ [The work of the “peconheiro” in the Amazon region: an analysis of working conditions in açaí harvesting based on the concept of decent work] (2020) 6(1) Revista do Direito do Trabalho e Meio Ambiente do Trabalho 57 <doi.org/10.26668/IndexLawJournals/2525-9857/2020.v6i1.6456>
  10. Urzedo D, and Chatterjee P, ‘The Colonial Reproduction of Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon: Violence Against Indigenous Peoples for Land Development’ (2021) 23(2) Journal of Genocide Research 302, <doi.org/10.1080/14623528.2021.1905758>
  11. Veloz P, ‘Value Chains and Soft Commodities in Amazonia: Regulatory Prospects for Commodified Biodiversity According to the Glocal Production Chain of Açaí’ (2020) 15(2–3) Journal of Land Use Science 389 <doi.org/10.1080/1747423X.2019.1694663>

Official Government News and Publications

  1. Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), ‘Segurança alimentar nos domicílios brasileiros volta a crescer em 2023’ [Food security in Brazilian households increases again in 2023] (Agência de Notícias, 25 April 2024) <agenciadenoticias.ibge.gov.br/agencia-noticias/2012-agencia-de-noticias/noticias/39838-seguranca-alimentar-nos-domicilios-brasileiros-volta-a-crescer-em-2023> accessed 19 April 2025
  2. Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), ‘Valor de produção da silvicultura e da extração vegetal cresce 11,2% e soma R$ 37,9 bilhões’ [Value of forestry and plant extraction production grows by 11.2% and totals R$ 37.9 billion] (26 March 2024) <agenciadenoticias.ibge.gov.br/agencia-noticias/2012-agencia-de-noticias/noticias/41404-valor-de-producao-da-silvicultura-e-da-extracao-vegetal-cresce-11-2-e-soma-r-37-9-bilhoes> accessed 19 April 2025
  3. Federal Public Prosecutor (MPF), Recommendation No. 10, dated November 9, 2023 <https://perma.cc/DT7E-U8SW>
  4. Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA, Brazil), ‘Mapa conquista 11 novos mercados e amplia marca histórica para 89 desde 2023’ [MAPA Secures 11 New Markets and Expands Historic Milestone to 89 Since 2023] (8 February 2024) <www.gov.br/agricultura/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/mapa-conquista-11-novos-mercados-e-amplia-marca-historica-para-89-desde-2023> accessed 19 April 2025
  5. Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA, Brazil), ‘Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock sets record for Brazilian agribusiness market access in 2024’ (8 January 2025) <www.gov.br/agricultura/en/news/ministry-of-agriculture-and-livestock-sets-record-for-brazilian-agribusiness-market-access-in-2024> accessed 19 April 2025
  6. Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, ‘Açaí ganha o primeiro Zoneamento Agrícola de Risco Climático’ [Açaí receives its first Agricultural Zoning for Climate Risk] (March 2024) https://www.gov.br/agricultura/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/acai-ganha-o-primeiro-zoneamento-agricola-de-risco-climatico accessed 19 April 2025
  7. National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), ‘INPI reconhece a primeira IG para uma localidade produtora de açaí’ [The INPI recognises the first Geographical Indication (GI) for an açaí-producing locality] (13 September 2023) <www.gov.br/inpi/pt-br/central-de-conteudo/noticias/inpi-reconhece-a-primeira-ig-para-uma-localidade-produtora-de-acai> accessed 19 April 2025

Websites and Newspapers

  1. Al Jazeera, ‘Acai berry craze boosts incomes in the Brazilian Amazon, but at a cost’ (Al Jazeera, 28 August 2023) <www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/8/28/acai-berry-craze-boosts-incomes-in-the-brazilian-amazon-but-at-a-cost> accessed 19 April 2025
  2. Amazônia Real, ‘O açaí e a crise climática’ [Açaí and the climate crisis] (21 July 2023) <amazoniareal.com.br/especiais/o-acai-e-a-crise-climatica/> accessed 19 April 2025
  3. Conti C, ‘“We are digital guerrilla fighters”: Q&A with young Indigenous activist Samela Sateré-Mawé’ (Mongabay, 23 December 2022) <news.mongabay.com/2022/12/we-are-digital-guerrilla-fighters-qa-with-young-indigenous-activist-samela-satere-mawe/> accessed 19 April 2025
  4. Guajajara S, ‘Amazonian Indigenous Leader Sônia Guajajara: “In the Flames, They See Money”’ (Inequality.org, 16 October 2020) <inequality.org/article/indigenous-amazon-corporate-greed/> accessed 19 April 2025
  5. Karpathiou D, ‘From açaí to global success: Georgios Frangulis shares how he built Oakberry’ (The Greek Herald, 14 February 2025) <greekherald.com.au/community/1-people-community/from-acai-to-global-success-georgios-frangulis-shares-how-he-built-oakberry/> accessed 19 April 2025
  6. Kelly A, ‘CAL Sues over Sustainability Marketing for Açaí Likely Produced with Hazardous Child Labor’ (Corporate Accountability Lab Blog, 16 October 2023) <corpaccountabilitylab.org/calblog/2023/10/16/cal-sues-over-sustainability-marketing-for-aa-likely-produced-with-hazardous-child-labor> accessed 19 April 2025
  7. Maisonnave F, ‘Indigenous Groups Gathering in Brazil’s Capital to Protest President’s Land Grant Decisions’ (The Independent, 22 April 2024) <www.independent.co.uk/news/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva-ap-brazil-congress-jair-bolsonaro-b2532902.html> accessed 19 April 2025
  8. Marquis C, ‘How Sambazon is Making Açaí a Touchstone of Conscious Commerce’ (Forbes, 9 May 2022) <www.forbes.com/sites/christophermarquis/2022/05/09/how-sambazon-is-making-aai-a-touchstone-of-conscious-commerce/> accessed 19 April 2025
  9. McCoy T, ‘Brazil reckons with dark side of açaí: Rampant, dangerous child labor’ (The Washington Post, 20 November 2023) <www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/11/20/brazil-acai-child-labor/> accessed 19 April 2025
  10. Morais, L ‘Brazil’s Indigenous Leader Raoni Says He Is Against Drilling for Oil in Amazon Region’ (Reuters, 19 April 2025) <www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/brazils-indigenous-leader-raoni-says-he-is-against-drilling-oil-amazon-region-2025-04-19/> accessed 19 April 2025
  11. Reuters, ‘Brazil’s Lula to Meet with Environment Agency Over Petrobras Bid to Drill Near Mouth of Amazon’ (Reuters, 12 February 2025) <www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-lula-meet-with-environment-agency-petrobras-bid-drill-near-mouth-amazon-2025-02-12/> accessed 19 April 2025
  12. Slavin T, ‘Can the bioeconomy help save the Amazon from deforestation?’ (Reuters, 18 December 2024) <www.reuters.com/sustainability/land-use-biodiversity/can-bioeconomy-help-save-amazon-deforestation-2024-12-18/> accessed 19 April 2025

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The views, opinions, and positions expressed within all posts are those of the author(s) alone and do not represent those of the Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics Blog or its editors. The blog makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, and validity of any statements made on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or representations. The copyright of this content belongs to the author(s) and any liability concerning the infringement of intellectual property rights remains with the author(s).

#açaí #AcaiSupplyChain #accountability #agribusiness #Amazon #bioeconomy #Business #businessethics #childlabour #corporate #CorporateAccountability #Corporategreed #Corporatepower #CorporateSocialResponsibility #corporations #CostantinoGrasso #CSR #CSRBlog #deforestation #Discrimination #EnvironmentalJustice #environmentalethics #ESG #exploitation #fairtrade #food #GlobalTrade #Greenwashing #HumanRights #Indigenousrights #inequality #justice #neocolonialism #Poverty #StateCorporateNexus #SupplyChainEthics #Sustainability

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