Babassu harvesters improve production, face threats
At 5:30 a.m., the workday starts. With a basket on their head and an axe and machete in hand, they need energy to venture into the forest in search of babassu coconut palms.
In the routine of at least 500 women across 25 communities in the Bico do Papagaio region, located in the northern state of Tocantins, the quest for babassu fruit, which sustains their families, involves communal walks, collaborative efforts, singing, and tradition. They have had to enhance their daily routines in response to concerns about violence, deforestation, pesticide use, and the impact of climate change.
Earlier this month, a warehouse was inaugurated in São Miguel do Tocantins, a town within the same state, where babassu products from family farming are processed. At this facility, the fruit's mesocarp is crushed and transformed into flour, while the workers also process the coconut to extract oil and olive oil. The products are then sold by the workers themselves at markets and fairs.
Breaking coconuts all day
The products are labeled by the Regional Association of Women Rural Workers of Bico do Papagaio, to which the workers are affiliated, and the profits are shared among them. Maria do Socorro Teixeira Lima, the 72-year-old farm worker and coordinator of the association, who resides in the municipality of Praia Norte, Tocantins, explains, "I crack coconuts all day. I roast them, make oil, and produce soap. The warehouse has improved our lives by not only processing our products but also handling packaging and marketing, providing income for our families."
"I have been breaking coconuts since I was seven years old. It has been many years of hard work. Nowadays, children don't go to the forest; they have to focus on studying and playing," said Lima.
She hopes that the workers can benefit from policies such as the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) and the Food Acquisition Program (PAA) to sell their products to schools in the region and transform this regional food into snacks for children. "This is our dream. Our warehouse will be crucial for this," she said.
Forest devastation
The farm worker believes that one of the issues affecting workers is the use of pesticides by landowners in the region. "The palm trees are dying. Another problem is that, due to the deforestation, the trees are becoming increasingly distant," she explains.
One milestone the workers commemorated in 2023 is the 15th anniversary of the Free Babassu Law that safeguards palm trees in the state of Tocantins. Similar regulations are in place in the states of Piauí, Maranhão, and Mato Grosso. "We obtain charcoal from babassu, which we partly use for cooking and partly sell to purchase other items. The oil derived from babassu is used for making soap, laundering clothes, and seasoning food. We process babassu flakes into flour and use the milk to enhance the flavor of our meals. It is crucial that we unite and continue advocating to preserve our babassu trees," Lima added.
Raimunda Gomes, a farm worker who passed away in 2018, garnered international recognition for advocating for workers' visibility and was a key figure in securing the passage of the law designed to protect both the workers and the palm trees.
Resources
To establish the warehouse, various organizations, including the Amazon Fund, the World Bank, the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), and CERES Projeto Cerrado Resiliente, made investments. The revitalization of the facility and the acquisition of machinery required an investment exceeding BRL 250,000.
"By having access to a facility that has been approved by health surveillance, they not only ensure the quality and safety of their products but also gain access to new markets," explained Selma Yuki Ishii, director of Alternative for Small Farming in Tocantins (APA-TO).
The warehouse has been a dream come true for Rozeny Batista Alexandre, a 46-year-old coconut harvester from Axixá do Tocantins, as it has provided her with greater support for her trade. "We raised and educated our children with coconuts. We work hard to provide healthy food for our families," she shared.
Having worked with the product since childhood, she highlights that most workers do not own land. "We harvest coconuts on other people's land, with permission from the owners, although many of us have faced hostility. Fortunately, the law protects our right to harvest coconuts."
The off-season
As a child, Alexandre reminisces that babassu was primarily used for household consumption. "I would gather babassu during the day, then in the evening, I'd take it to the store and exchange it for rent. At that time, it was mainly coconut and charcoal. I used straw to make mats and cover the house. Nowadays, we have various other products derived from babassu."
Climate change is affecting production in the Cerrado biome. Typically, the off-season lasts from the end of December to April. "The harvest starts in May and lasts until October. We gather the coconuts in the wild," explains Alexandre. They then wash the fruit, remove the shell and the pulp, and dry and crush the product. "We consider the palm tree to be like a mother. It can live for 50 to 80 years. After 30 years, the yield starts to decline. That's why we take great care of it," she emphasizes. Rozeny Alexandre noted that the products have gained popularity among vegans. "It's high in fiber, a diuretic, and an aphrodisiac. It's simply good for you."
According to the farm worker, in the region, it is a cultural norm that most of those who work with babassu coconut are women. "It's a tradition for the husband to tend to the fields while the wife works with the babassu," she explains. "We endured hardships as children while breaking coconuts. But I always said that I didn't want my son to experience what I went through."
As a member of the association, Alexandre highlights that working together fosters collective collaboration, ensuring that no one feels isolated in the forest. "Breaking coconuts alone is very challenging. When we gather in a circle and sing while using the axe, it becomes more than just work; it's a shared experience. Our dream is to acquire a machine to enhance this process," she explains.
The right to a pension, another dream of the community, became a reality through cooperative work. The workers are advised to make social security contributions, which may vary based on their income.
