REVEALED: How children in Brazil are climbing 70-foot trees and earning just $6 PER DAY to harvest acai berries – with the fashionable bowls costing $10 a pop in NYC

A hard-hitting documentary has shed light on the dangerous child labor involved in harvesting acai berries, which remain a fashionable and expensive superfood in the West.

The short film, commissioned by the CNN Freedom Project takes viewers to the heart of the Amazon in Brazil, where the small, black-purple fruits are found.

Sao Paulo-based journalist Julia Vargas Jones travels on a boat before dawn with a group of teenage boys involved in the dangerous practice of berry picking.

Because the fruit is found right at the top of the palm trees, the boys must master the art of lifting the spindly trunks and many injuries – sometimes fatal – occur as a result of falls.

Despite the risks associated with it, a 2018 study shows scientific paper by Dr. Monique Vanni, acai pickers (known as peconheiros) earn only about $6 to $16 a day, depending on the region in which they work.

Dr. Vanni notes that each worker generally picks an average of 10 ‘latas’ or baskets per day, which amounts to about 310 pounds.

Because the tall palms, which can grow up to 22 meters high, cannot support much weight, young children are recruited as pickers.

They wear no protective equipment and all they use is a strip of burlap that they wrap around their bare feet so they can better grip the tree trunks.

In addition to the risk of falls, the documentary highlights that there are many other dangers in the jungle, with ‘deadly snakes, scorpions and jaguars’ among the unsavory things lurking.

In the CNN film, Lucas Oliviera, 13, reveals that he has been picking acai berries for the past two years while attending school so he can help his older brother support their seven siblings.

He tells Julia that he gives the money he earns to his mother, and she in turn gives him “a smaller share back.”

When asked what he does with the money he has left, Lucas, who comes from a small village outside the northern city of Macapá, answers: “To buy my school supplies.”

While picking acai berries is dangerous and dirty work, Amazon community leader Nerivan Da Silva says that “it’s out of necessity and it leaves no food on the table.”

He also notes that it is a tradition that has been around for more than 100 years and is “passed down from father to son.”

Acai picking is one of the many forms of child labor in Brazil.

According to a report by Brazil’s statistics agency, in 2022 there were 1.9 million children and adolescents between the ages of five and 17 engaged in child labor in the country.

Of this number, 22.8 percent were found to be involved in agricultural activities.

The CNN documentary states that more than 8,000 tons of acai berries were exported in 2022, worth more than $26 million.

However, employees like Lucas “receive only a fraction of that number.”

Allan Bruno, a prosecutor investigating forced child labor cases in Brazil, says one of the biggest challenges in breaking the cycle is “educating workers and children about their rights.”

He adds: ‘This is the reality of the rural world. Some of them cannot read, write or even count. Their needs are so fundamental it’s almost unfathomable.’

On a more poignant note, the documentary ends with Nerivan Da Silva inviting people to “come and see the culture where acai comes from, because people often have no idea how much work it takes to bring it to the table.”

Acai has been part of the Brazilian diet for hundreds of years, but became popular in the US in the 2000s for its purported health benefits.

It is believed that the berries, which are rich in antioxidants, can help lower blood sugar levels, reduce swelling and help protect cells from damage.

Now in cities like Los Angeles and New York there are dozens of outlets dedicated to “acai bowls,” with the small artfully displayed dishes costing more than $10. The acai is usually served as a sorbet or puree, as this extends its shelf life.

While acai shops market themselves as health-conscious, critics say they are conveniently overlooking the issue of the dangers of child labor.

In 2023, the Corporate Accountability Lab (CAL) has sued California-based acai-focused food company Sambazon for falsely marketing its supply chain as sustainable.

Attorney Avery Kelly explains in an open letter: “While children often do the dangerous work of harvesting acai, Sambazon’s consumer marketing portrays the company’s supply chain as sustainable.

‘For example, the website promotes a three-pronged philosophy that ensures that “from its origins in the palm tree to the finished product in your palm as you take a bite, every step of our Acai’s journey is purposeful.”

‘Sambazon also claims to “monitor every step” of its products’ journey. But CAL believes the company is failing to support this with purchasing practices that deviate from the industry standard.”

Looking at what changes are needed to create a more sustainable future in the world of acai, she concludes: ‘Acai harvesting communities in the Brazilian Amazon are demanding that companies like Sambazon immediately address the major risks associated with sourcing acai and that they restructure procurement practices to maximize benefits for communities – and not pretend that human rights risks do not exist.’

Sambazon CEO Ryan Black previously denied that the company had purchased açaí harvested by children, according to the Washington Post.

He said the company buys only from certified sellers and the company’s community-building projects give farmers an incentive to follow the rules.