La ruée vers l'« açaí » ( Euterpe oleracea Mart .) : trajectoires d'un fruit emblématique d'Amazonie

Açaí palm is part of the food and cultural traditions in the Amazon. The rising consumption of açaí in Brazil and abroad has created a profitable market for rural populations, whether traditional or not. In addition, growing açaí is allowed in riparian restoration (new Forest Law). The authors question the effects of these changes on the sustainability of family farming in the context of a coexistence with agribusiness models. The study of agricultural practices and of the evolution of production systems in the states of Pará and Amapá shows that açaí has rapidly become a lucrative product for rural families, compared with other agricultural products and extraction. Market integration has induced changes in practices on a gradient ranging between extractivism and intensive cropping practices.