outubro, 02 2025

By Mônica Salles, WWF-Brazil 

At the beginning of July, Brazil received great news: roasted baru nuts will now be marketed in European countries. This achievement crowns the dedication of Cerrado communities engaged in the baru nut value chain, who have worked over the last decade to develop and expand consumer markets. 

Among the sociobiodiversity products of the Cerrado, the baru nut is one of the priorities supported by WWF-Brazil through projects with extractivist and traditional communities in the states of Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Mato Grosso. 

Partnerships established with WWF-Brazil have provided investments to strengthen the baru value chain by fostering new market development, supporting extractivist associations with infrastructure for nut processing, and offering training to build entrepreneurial skills within communities. 

Data from Copabase – the Cooperative of Family Farmers and Extractivists operating in northwest Minas Gerais – indicate that 14.69 tons of baru were produced in 2024, an increase of 8.3% compared to 2023. The highlight was the growth in sales of roasted baru nuts, which rose by 17.9% and represented 83.3% of the total volume, compared to 37.3% in 2023. The opening of the European market represents a valuable opportunity for expanding commercialization and scaling up production in upcoming harvests. 

Dionete Figueiredo, manager of Copabase, explained that the cooperative already exports baru nuts to the United States, Canada, and Dubai, and now celebrates its entry into the European Union. 
“Thanks to the movement of cooperatives in Brazil, this announcement confirms that baru is a safe food for commercialization in the European market. This has a major impact for all extractivists, cooperatives, and organizations working in the baru value chain. We are certain that exporting to Europe will bring a leap in income generation, Cerrado conservation, and the promotion of this superfood.” 

The baru nut value chain generates income that benefits thousands of families supported by WWF-Brazil partnerships. For many communities, the arrival of new resources brings stability, quality, and better life prospects. 

“The opening of the European market is a milestone for strengthening sociobiodiversity and valuing the Cerrado. It recognizes Brazilian sociobiodiversity as a source of rich, nutritious foods produced with traditional knowledge and environmental conservation,” highlights Bianca Nakamato, WWF-Brazil’s sociobiodiversity leader. 

“The official entry of baru into the European Union is the result of intense collective work in community development, public policy strengthening for extractivism, and the articulation of diverse stakeholders. Above all, it reflects the strength and unity of communities in the face of challenges over the years, especially in the context of the climate crisis. It is a very well-deserved victory,” she added. 

More than just a nut, this announcement symbolizes the resilience of the agro-extractivist model, which has been expanding in Brazil for decades and creating successful examples of sustainable management. Key highlights include: 

• Versatile in Food: This superfood, which helps conserve the Cerrado, has a great taste and is rich in protein and nutritional benefits, features highly valued in the healthy food sector. 
   
• Global Recognition: The opening of the European market positions this Brazilian nut for new commercial opportunities, showcasing the Cerrado’s sociobiodiversity to new buyers. It also validates the efforts of the Brazilian government, private sector, NGOs, and community enterprises, and paves the way for other sociobiodiversity products. 
   
• Community Empowerment: Baru commercialization benefits thousands of extractivist families, ensuring fair income and preserving traditional ways of life. 
   
• Strengthening Agro-extractivism: In the Cerrado, sustainable baru harvesting generates income, autonomy, and restores the self-esteem of extractivists. It strengthens a virtuous process that allows families and youth to build dignified lives in their territories while conserving the biome. 
   
• Conservation Incentive: Unlike large-scale monocultures, baru harvesting helps keep the Cerrado standing. 
   
• Networked Business Models: Communities across the Cerrado have been organizing in innovative networks to structure the value chain, including pursuing important certifications such as Organic Brazil and USDA. 
   
• Women in Leadership: In many Cerrado sociobiodiversity value chains, women lead community enterprises and play a central role in nut processing. 

This achievement in Europe is expected to open new frontiers for baru nuts, paving the way for other Cerrado products to follow. The global recognition of Cerrado’s sociobiodiversity is only just beginning!