Acai Berry and Brazil – The Eternal Connection
Posted on 19. Aug, 2010 by admin in MonaVie EMV
In terms of area, Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest in the world. Brazil is home to the Amazon River that is the largest river system in the world. The Amazon River basin encompasses eight countries, the largest of which is Brazil.
The Amazon River basin receives an average annual rainfall of 2000 mm. This heavy rainfall has resulted in the growth of dense rainforests. The biodiversity of the tropical rainforests is mind-boggling. Even more spectacular is the multiplicity of ethnicity in Brazil that is a result of centuries of interaction between people from diverse backgrounds.
Among the thousands of species of plants and animals in the rainforests scientists have been able to study some that are valued for their nutritional and medicinal value. Foremost among them is the acai berry that is consumed by the indigenous tribes inhabiting the Amazon River basin.
Ryan Black and his brother were holidaying in Brazil when they stumbled upon this fruit that was being served along with smoothies in the beaches. They took an instant liking to the fruit, learn more about it and sensed the immense business potential that it had.
They started a company called Sambazon in California in 1999 to import acai berries from Brazil. As celebrities began acknowledging its immense benefits its popularity grew by leaps and bounds. Today it is the largest selling organic fruit in the United States.
Brazil is home to a large portion of the rainforests and thus benefits most from the export of acai berry. Acai berry harvesting, processing, packaging and export is labor intensive and provides employment to thousands of people in Brazil. It is also a major source of foreign exchange to the Brazilian government.
The active ingredients of the acai berry fruit tend to lose potency within 24 hours of harvesting from the palm tree. Being in close proximity to the Amazon River basin Brazil and Peru are the only countries where harvesting and processing of acai berry can be done on a mass scale.
The acai berry fruit is unique to the tropical rainforests in the Amazon River basin of Brazil. It cannot be transplanted and grown in controlled conditions. Mother Nature has blessed Brazil with diverse flora and fauna. We have been able to discover the acai berry two decades ago. Let us pray for more such discoveries in the future that will benefit mankind.
