In recent decades, the açaí that comes from the North of Brazil has conquered the whole country. Other places in the world have also surrendered to the delicacy. What you probably don't know is that for this deliciousness to reach your fridge, a lot of work was needed. One made by children. Understand a little more about child labor in the industry.
Read more: Research shows that older workers still suffer prejudice in Brazil
see more
Confirmed: Samsung really is producing foldable screens for…
China conducts experiments with zebrafish on the space station…
Exploitation of child labor
The work of extracting açaí involves climbing very tall trees, which is usually done with very little safety. To make matters worse, most of this process is done by children. In particular, for indigenous children who, without opportunities for economic development, take risks mainly to support their families.
According to United States Department of Labor, Brazil is the country that leads the ranking of violations of child labor laws in the world. These transgressions are not limited to the açaí industry, but to several other sectors, both in rural and urban areas. It is possible to find child labor in any field.
According to The Washington Post, the children climb on huge açaí trees, which can reach more than 20 meters in height, precisely because they are lighter. As the stem of the tree is quite thin, the use of young people is also a way to prevent the tree from breaking, which would harm the adults ahead.
Dangers involved in the extraction of acai
In addition to the danger of heights, these children will also need to deal with all the other dangers they face. are present in the great tropical forests, as is the case of the Amazon, where most of the açaí. There are several factors that put their health at risk, from snake and spider bites to the development of diseases due to mosquito bites.
In addition, the extraction usually takes place without any safety procedure, that is, without the use of protective equipment. Not to mention low pay. That is why more and more NGOs are dedicating themselves to trying to reduce this exploitation of child labor in the northern region of the country.