Brazil nuts
At a glance
- The brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa) grows across the Amazon basin and is the only globally traded seed collected from the wild by harvesters in forests.
- Harvesting is concentrated in three countries: Brazil, Bolivia and Peru. In 2018, 91% of the total world production came from Brazil and Bolivia alone.
- Brazil nuts are traded both in their in-shell and shelled form, globally, their combined value of exports in 2019 amounted to 373 million USD.
- The main exporter of brazil nuts in shell is Brazil, while Bolivia and Peru are the top exporters of the shelled kind, indicating a larger transformation sector in the latter two countries.
- Most brazil nuts in shell are traded between south American countries, while shelled nuts are exported to the rest of the world.
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Description
The brazil nut from the Bertholletia excelsa tree is one of the most economically valuable species of Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, contributing substantially to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the countries (Guariguata et al. 2017; Rockwell et al. 2015). It is the only globally traded seed collected from the wild by forest-based extractivists (Rockwell et al. 2015). The tree can live for hundreds of years and reach heights of over 40m. The nuts are contained in a hard, wood shell (mesocarp) which contains 15-25 seeds (not a true nut) measuring 4-7 cm in length (FAO, 1992). Smallholders across Madre de Dios (Peru), Acre (Brazil) and Pando (Bolivia) have historically depended on Brazil nut harvests to support their families (Rockwell et al. 2015; Table 1).
| Location (country) | % of total household income from forest products | % of forest income derived from Brazil nuts | Sample type | Land use type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pando, Beni (Bolivia) | 42 | 22 | 239 households | Colonist settlement | Zenteno et al. (2013) |
| Pando, Beni (Bolivia) | 60 | 51 | “Extractive” communities (27% of 239 households) | Colonist settlement | Zenteno et al. (2013) |
| Pando, Beni (Bolivia) | 36 | 20 | “Multitasking” communities (33% of 239 households) | Colonist settlement | Zenteno et al. (2013) |
| Pando, Beni (Bolivia) | 53 | 27 | Brazil nut and timber extraction (18% of 239 households) | Colonist settlement | Zenteno et al. (2013) |
| Pando, Beni (Bolivia) | 64 | 45 | 131 households | Protected area, nonprotected area | Duchelle et al. (2014a) |
| Acre (Brazil) | 12 | 21 | 112 households | Extractive reserve, colonist settlements | Duchelle et al. (2014a) |
| Parà (Brazil) | 33 | 17 | 23 households | Extractive reserve | Zeidemann et al. (2014) |
| Madre de Dios (Peru) | 71 | 55-56 | 126 households | Brazil nut concessions | Garrish et al. (2014) |
| Pando, Beni (Bolivia) | 59 | 74 | 24 households “Agroextractive communities” | Colonist settlement | Soriano et al. (2017) |
TABLE 1. Source: Guariguata et al. 2017
The number of collectors and processors is estimated at about 1.2 million in Brazil, 600,000 in Bolivia and 200,000 in Peru (INC, 2017). Harvesting Brazil nuts has contributed to the preservation of millions of hectares of Amazonian forests (“conservation through use”). For this reason it has been called the “cornerstone of Amazon forest conservation (Clay 1997). It is moreover illegal to fell Brazil nut trees in all three countries.
Brazil nuts are also extremely nutritious. They have a high content of micronutrients such as magnesium, copper and zinc, and also have high contents of protein, fatty acids and bioactive compounds which promote better health. Furthermore, they have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. They are among the richest sources of Selenium and have been considered as an alternative for selenium supplementation (Cardoso et al. 2017). Given concerns over the occurrence of aflatoxins in Brazil nuts, maximum levels for total aflatoxins were recommended to be used in international trade (Codex, 2009).
The harvesting and production of brazil nuts is concentrated in the countries where the Bertholletia excelsa is occurring, Brazil, Bolivia and Peru. In 2018, 91% of the total world production came from Brazil and Bolivia recording 48% and 43% of global production share respectively. The trend suggests that all the three countries increased their production since the beginnings of the 2000s thus resulted in an average annual growth rate is of 1.7%. In particular, 2018 marks a recovery of production (+22%) after two years of decrease in productivity that may be affected by changes in water regimes of the Amazonia Region (IBGE, 2018). Effects of such changes were relevant during 2017 that recorded the highest decline in production on a year-on-year basis (-27%).
In producer countries, brazil nuts are one of the main non-wood forest products (NWFP). For example, in Brazil, food products constituted the main NWFP in terms value and Brazil nuts resulted the third most important one after acai and erva mate in 2018.
Globally, the combined value of exports in 2019 amounted to 373 million USD. The in shell product trade is dominated by Brazil that in 2019 exported 5,377 tonnes accounting for 60% of global export volume. Among the other two producing countries, Bolivia is the third world exporters (8%) while Peru exports to a very limited extent.
Significant trade flows - almost all from Brazil - are towards Bolivia and Peru, the other two producer countries that are also main world importers, while also being the two main exporters of shelled nuts. Thus, in these two countries the brazil nuts sector focuses on the transformation of the product into shelled form for internal consumption and for export.
Among the exporters of both in-shell and shelled brazil nuts, there are several countries who are not producers, indicating that there are significant trade flows of the product even outside the Amazon countries.
ANNEX 2. Statistical note
CPC 2.1 extended for agriculture The CPC 2.1 classifies brazil nuts as an agricultural and a food product, thus under two sections. Brazil nuts in shell are as agricultural products are classified under Section O (Agriculture, forestry and fishery products); while shelled brazil nuts are considered a semi- processed food product and are classified under Section 2 (Food products, beverages and tobacco; textiles, apparel and leather products). The CPC 2.1 codes are as follows:
| Section | 0 | Agriculture, forests and fishery production |
|---|---|---|
| Division | 42 | Products of agriculture, horticulture and market gardening |
Group | 42 | Fruit nuts |
| Class | 42 | Nuts (excluding wild edible nuts and groundnuts) |
| Subclass | 42 | Brazil nuts, in shell |
| Section | 2 | Food products, beverages and tobacco; textiles, apparel and leather products |
|---|---|---|
| Division | 21 | Meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, oils and fats |
Group | 214 | Prepared and preserved fruits and nuts |
| Class | 2142 | Shelled nuts |
| Subclass | 21429 | Other shelled nuts (this subclass includes: [...] chetnuts [...]) |
| Subclass | 21429.01 | Brazil nuts, shelled (CPC 2.1 extended for agriculture) |
Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS 2017)
The HS classification of edible nuts lists both in-shell and shelled species under chapter 8 (edible fruit and nuts). The HS 2017 codes for brazil nuts are as follows:
| Chapter | 8 | Edible fruits and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons |
|---|---|---|
| Heading | 08.01 | Coconuts, brazil nuts and cashew nuts, fresh or dried, whether or not shelled or peeled |
| Brazil nuts | |
| Subheading | 0801.21 | -- in shell |
| Subheading | 0801.22 | -- shelled |
Cardoso, B.R., Duarte, G.B.S., Reis, B.Z. and Cozzolino, S.M. 2017. Brazil nuts: Nutritional composition, health benefits and safety aspects. Food Research International, 100, pp.9-18.
Clay J.W. 1997. Brazil nuts. The use of a keystone species for conservation and development. In: Freese CR (ed) Harvesting wild species: implications for biodiversity conservation. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, pp 246–282
Codex. 2009. Joint fao/who food standards programme codex committee on contaminants in foods. proposed draft maximum levels for total aflatoxins in brazil nuts (N11-2008).
FAO. 1992. Marketing of Brazil Nuts. Rome.
FAO. CPC ver.2.1 expanded for agriculture (crops, livestock and derived products) and correspondences to FCL (available at: http://www.fao.org/economic/ess/ess-standards/en/#. XgDDm9ZKg_U). Accessed September 2019.
Guariguata, M.R., Cronkleton, P., Duchelle, A.E. and Zuidema, P.A. 2017. Revisiting the ‘cornerstone of Amazonian conservation’: a socioecological assessment of Brazil nut exploitation. Biodiversity and Conservation, 26(9), pp.2007-2027.
FAOSTAT. 2022. (available at: http://faostat.fao.org/). Accessed August 2024.
IBGE. 2018. Produção da Extração Vegetal e da Silvicultura.
INC. 2017. International Nut and Dried Fruit Statistical Yearbook.
Rockwell, C.A., Guariguata, M.R., Menton, M., Quispe, E.A., Quaedvlieg, J., Warren-Thomas, E., Silva, H.F., Rojas, E.E.J., Arrunátegui, J.A.H.K., Vega, L.A.M. and Vera, O.R. 2015. Nut production in Bertholletia excelsa across a logged forest mosaic: implications for multiple forest use. PLoS One, 10(8), p.e0135464.
Sorrenti, S. 2017. Non-wood forest products in international statistical systems. Non-wood Forest Products Series no. 22. Rome, FAO.
Trade Map. International Trade Centre. (available at: https://trademap.org/Index.aspx). Accessed June 2020.
UNSD. 2015. Central Product Classification (CPC) Ver.2.1. (available at: https://unstats.un.org/ unsd/classifications/unsdclassifications/cpcv21.pdf). Accessed June 2020.
WCO. HS Nomenclature 2017 edition. (available at: http://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/ nomenclature/instrument-and-tools/hs-nomenclature-2017-edition/hs-nomenclature-2017- edition.aspx). Accessed June 2020.
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