FSC certified "palmito" (hearts of palm) from the Brazilian Amazon is available
Friends of the Earth - Brazilian Amazon
December 15, 2000
We are happy and proud to inform you that the first FSC certified "palmito" (hearts of palm) from the Brazilian Amazon is available now.
The company is Muaná Alimentos, which processes palmito produced from local forest-dwellers communities in the island of Marajó, close to the estuary of the Amazon river, in the state of Pará. Muaná also engages in work on the local level.
The kind of palmito managed by Muaná is "açai" (eutherpe oleracea), a species which - as "pupunha"- can be sustainably harvested (contrary to commonly and predatorily exploited "jussara").
Friends of the Earth - Brazilian Amazon 's director, Roberto Smeraldi, said in a statement today that "this is a historical step towards sustainable forest production. Since the very first moment - when we strongly recommended to the Terra Capital Fund (a Brazilian equity fund for investments with benefits for biodiversity) to invest into this business - we believed in the innovative local communities and Muaná. This is an example of how companies can effectively work in benefit of social and environmental aspects."