Amazonia Cares

Without the Amazon rainforest, there is no Acai, so ongoing preservation of this incredible ecosystem will always be Amazonia's core commitment.

The Amazon is home to 6.1 million acres of Acai rainforest, making Acai one of the most abundant naturally growing foods in the world.

Amazonia was in the final 4 out of over 3000 applicants for the Telstra business awards "Social Responsibility" sector as well as the “small to medium sized business” sector.

Through fair trade, Amazonia provides more financial aid to local families who in turn help keep Açaí trees standing, rather than removing them for cattle or soy. This provides a huge, alternative incentive for these families who now view their surrounding rainforest as more valuable standing, than cleared! Currently supporting over 4000 families through this system, these families are actively ensuring the preservation of over 3000 acres of Amazon rainforest on the front line. It is Amazonia’s vision to see these numbers grow.

Amazonia also donates over and above Fair Trade standards to the Sustainable Amazon Project. This public and private collaboration promotes lasting sustainable management of the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest. We support individual workers directly instead of purchasing our berries from large markets, providing an immediate and visible benefit to the livelihood of local families

In addition, all by-products (such as seeds) are recycled as building materials or to be sold as Fair Trade bracelets where 100% of sales are contributed back to local community projects.

Cool Fact: Did you know that for every tonne of our freeze dried powder there's 20 tonnes of leftover seed? Well now instead of just dumping the seed the locals of Macapa use the seed as the burning material in their furnaces instead of wood! This alternative fuel source is replacing timber and is demonstrating to locals that instead of trees they can use this, otherwise Açaí bi-product.

PREMIUM QUALITY THROUGH UNIQUE PROCESSING

Unlike other brands, Amazonia completely controls its production process via a very straightforward method. Amazonia is unique in getting its berries direct to their facility in Macapa shortly after picking. This guarantees a higher grade of Acai than ANY competitors by ensuring the nutrient potency of the berries isn't further damaged by natural deterioration.

This method of processing is invaluable to Amazonia as their certification of Fair Trade is only attained through working alongside these pickers, which wonderfully makes this direct sourcing possible. Thus, Amazonia supports its individual workers instead of purchasing berries from larger, unknown markets, which 99% of Açaí companies do. It’s this one choice alone which gives Australian consumers the most nutrient rich Acai products available.

Amazonia has seen it all when it comes to facilities, child labour and employee exploitation in the Acai industry. Sanitation and clean water are by far the two biggest problems in the Amazon and sadly this fact is also true for most workplaces. What we have observed in Brazil is that most Acai is processed in small make shift facilities, where no sanitation or cleanliness standards are adhered to. To compensate for the lack of workplace hygiene, product is heavily heat treated and sold to the first international or local buyer. This situation is further exploiting workers and producing very low grade product with no traceable source! This is where Amazonia really shines, by cooperating with only the highest standards in fair trade and organics, ensuring employees are paid fair wages and have accesses to proper workplace amenities.

We believe every hard working person deserves to have access to the essentials, and Fair Trade wages are a means of guaranteeing this. Amazonia is the first ever certified Fair Trade source of Açaí. We now set the standard for the entire Açaí industry, and with your support we can ensure all Açaí is Fair Trade protected.

On our annual trip to Brazil’s Macapa region in 2010 to overview our ethical efforts and procedures, Dwayne and Chris got up to their elbows in fresh Açaí berries, visited schools and donated $7500US to the local Casa Da Hospital. We continue to donate above and beyond Fair Trade wages to the Sustainability Amazon Partnership to improve community amenities in the precious region our Açaí comes from.

Miguel (in the white shirt) is our operations manager in the Amazon and was awarded Local Citizen

for his positive work in the Macapa region. An essential part of our community initiatives is having caring people like Miguel on the ground at our source.

The crew of the Sea Shepherd are committed to direct action initiatives in the fight to protect our oceanic cousins and the waters they live in. Out there on the high seas in difficult conditions, actively compromising the operations of whaling ships, illegal fishing vessels and other threats to the world’s marine environment, these guys need to be healthy and full of vigour on every mission.

Amazonia donated 24 cartons of our Açaí puree to the crew of Sea Shepherd to keep them on their toes before they sailed away on their next trip. Amazonia would like to express their gratitude to the crew of Sea Shepherd for their constant and devoted stance against whaling and the mistreatment of the marine environment and its inhabitants.

The ladies in Macapa hand make Açaí seed jewellery in wonderful community co-operatives. A visit always guarantees lots of laughter and music. Amazonia purchases thousands of these bracelets and 100% of all profits go directly back to the Macapa women who made them. As well as being a great way to use the left over seed from our Açaí powder, this initiative provides further funding to improve living standards in these communities. We’ll soon be selling these authentic MacapaAçaí bracelets in health food stores as well as providing them with purchases of our Açaí products online – so you’ll be able to look as cool as us wearing one!

Every child has a creative mind that needs nurturing. Through our Sustainable Amazon Partnership, Amazonia is helping the EscolaEstadualIgarape da Fortaleza school’s new arts centre. Our partnership is ongoing and in the future we’re looking forward to being more and more involved in education projects like this one.

For every tonne of freeze dried Açaí berry powder we produce, there’s 20 tonnes of leftover seed.

This seed has a world of uses in and of itself – it’s used by the locals to make jewellery and build houses, and is now being used by Macapa communities as the burning material in their furnaces instead of wood. This alternative fuel source, an Açaí bi-product, is replacing timber and helping to reduce the localised harvesting of rainforest trees.

Fresh Acai berries begin to break down shortly after being picked, so it’s vital to get them washed, de-pulped and snap frozen as soon as possible to keep all the amazing natural nutrients where we want them! We have our very own Açaí facility in Macapa, so once the berries are picked, they’re placed into baskets and immediately sent to our facility to be made ready for frozen transport.

Having our own facility at the source allows us to guarantee the freshest and healthiest Açaí direct to you. On our last Amazon trip we paid a visit to the Macapa facility to inspect the equipment and spend time getting to know the local workers. Satisified that everything was running smoothly, we celebrated by, well... eating more Açaí!

Amazonia's Açaí is sourced from the Amazon Rainforests around Macapa (345km north of Belem) in the North Region of Brazil. Macapa is the only state capital in Brazil that has no road connections to other capitals, and can only be accessed by boat or plane. Açaí palms are plentiful in the rainforests around Macapa. This ensures locals are always able to afford Açaí for themselves since prices remain unaffected by increased demand.

Belem is the hub for most of Brazil's Açaí exportation, and here Açaí prices are beginning to rise due to high demand and increased exportation, creating a tragic situation where locals are unable to afford their own locally grown product. Amazonia only source Açaí from the Macapa where the abundance of Açaí means outside demand does not interfere with local prices.

We believe that with care and consideration for the local people, the growing Açaí market can provide hope to the Amazon region where devastated land is perceived by businesses to have more value than pristine rainforest. Açaí has the potential to revert the deforestation trend by offering economic incentives along the lines of a non-timber product with high socioeconomic value. It is a direct response to cattle ranching, by far the most destructive activity in the region. Rancing has devastated over 60 million hectares of rainforest and creates roughly 200,000 jobs where over 8 million are needed. Ingrained in this same vicious cycle is logging, which finances cattle ranching and contributes to the opening of roads throughout the forest. 90% of all logging in the Amazon is clandestine and illegal (retrieved from Sustainable Açaí Project, 2008-11).

Certifications :

Our certifications acknowledge Amazonia as a leader in its field