Brazil nuts represent one of the most important non-timber forest products of extractivistic exploration in the Amazon region. They are collected from wild trees (Bertholletia excelsa
) and subject to minimal processing for export either in shell or shelled (as a kernel), mainly to Europe and United States of America. Bolivia is presently the largest Brazil nut exporter, followed by Brazil and Peru.
The Brazil nut extractivistic exploration has an important socio-economic and environmental role in the Amazon region. It generates employment and income for the local population, contributes to the socio-economic organization of large extractive areas and prevents the deforestation of the rainforest. Brazil nuts also have a high nutritional value (rich in proteins, fats, vitamins and selenium), and are therefore an important source of food. For these reasons, they are considered as a special priority for sustainable development of the Amazon region.
Nevertheless, the Brazil nut production chain is confronted with problems of contamination by aflatoxins, which are toxic secondary metabolites produced byAspergillus flavus
/ A. parasiticus
when the nuts are kept under conditions that favour the development of these fungi. Such contamination is of major concern not only for public health because of the carcinogenic and genotoxic effects of aflatoxins in human beings, but also in regard to economic losses and environment impact. It constitutes the largest obstacle to Brazil nut commercialisation, especially in Europe where the regulation on aflatoxin levels has become very stringent.
In Brazil, Peru and Bolivia, a series of actions were undertaken by their respective governments, research institutes, universities and Non-Governmental Organizations among others, for controlling the Brazil nut contamination by aflatoxins with the aim to attend to the international sanitary standards and consolidate the export markets.
The SafeNut project
aims to support and reinforce these actions.
