In the heart of the Amazon, is the city of Maués, known as the capital of Guarana. There, both the rural and city populations consume the fruit on a daily basis, which, for the Sateré-Mawé indigenous people, means “the source of wisdom”. Although the region is no longer the country’s main supplier, the quality and certifications obtained by local producers managed to change the lives of those who make a living from planting and harvesting the fruit.
Even before the arrival of the Portuguese in Brazil, the indigenous peoples of the Sateré-Mawé and Munduruku ethnic groups already produced guarana. Centuries later, even with the popularization of consumption, planting was not always advantageous for the farmer. Producer Adeílson Gomes de Souza, known as Dedeco, remembers how much he sold a few years ago. “The price of guarana reached a crisis point at R$5 a kilo. Today, we are selling it at R$45”, he says.
Recipes that use guarana are common in the region – TV Brazil
One of the explanations for the price improvement was the certifications. Since 2018, the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) has recognized Maués guarana with the Geographical Indication (GI) stamp, in the Indication of Origin modality – which attests to the quality of the product made in the region. In addition, several producers also won the Organic seal, which added value to the guaraná produced there.
The process is laborious, from planting, through manual harvesting, separation of the seed, washing, roasting and grinding. The Association of Guaraná Producers of the Geographical Indication of Maués brought together those who wanted to adapt to the quality standard required by the GI and managed to find space in the market. Giving a differential to the guarana from Maués was the solution found by the producers.
The region where the fruit originates is no longer the largest producer in the country. Bahia today is responsible for 67.7% of the product in Brazil, only 18.4% is made in the Amazon, according to data from the National Supply Company (Conab). “Maués continued producing guarana like a thousand years ago, with a differentiated process, which must have a differentiated public”, evaluates Luca D’Ambros, who maintains an agribusiness with raw material sent by the producers.
D’Ambros is Italian and fell in love with the Amazon after participating as a volunteer in a social project. Today, he processes guarana and transforms it into products for consumption. And he also managed to reduce the distances between the producer and the consumer, delivering to São Paulo in up to 2 days. “I was able to deliver safely, quickly and with traceability of the origin of the product that the market wants and, on the other hand, I see the impact that this type of trade has on local communities”, he says.
Some producers wash the guarana – TV Brazil
Value to tradition
One of the differentials of guarana from Maués, in addition to quality, is to value tradition. One of the forms of commercialization is in sticks, made from the moistened and pounded guaraná mass. After 10 days of drying, the stick is sold to the consumer, who gradually grates the product, preferably on a stone or on the dry tongue of the pirarucu. “The stick is a very salable product, it is much sought after in the region”, says Deco Pereira, one of the producers of this format.
For him, the creation of the association strengthened the producer and, through it, it was possible to go much further. “If we didn’t have this thought of being a partner, maybe we would be halfway through the work we are doing today. The association is also more powerful in seeking knowledge, resources and strengthening the production chain”, says Deco.
Only the pith of the fruit is used – TV Brazil
In practice, for the producer, the change with the appreciation of guarana was great. For Oziel dos Santos, it was only possible to buy the machinery to do what used to be manual with the profit from having the IG seal. “We’ve already won a pulping machine to help us, because in the old days, people stepped on or threshed on nails”, he recalls. Today, he manages to harvest 700 to 800 kilos of fruit per year.
Guarana has become the main activity for those with certification. “It’s the product that we dream of to be able to have a boat, to be able to buy a voadeira, a tail [tipos de barcos utilizados na região]build a better home”, says Dedeco. A dream that comes with pride in growing a crop that has been passed down from generation to generation. “Guarana is everything to us, we work not only thinking about money, but also about love we have for it, that’s why we always strive to make one of the best products in the world”, he concludes.
