The Brazilian pine nut, a seed from the Brazilian araucaria tree, plays a crucial role in agriculture in the southern region of Brazil. Its importance spans ecological, economic, and cultural aspects. This is why Brazilian pine nut traceability is so significant.
Traceability allows us to track the seed’s journey from collection through all stages of production and commercialization until it reaches the final consumer.
We interviewed Rossana Catie Bueno de Godoy, an agronomist and researcher at Embrapa Florestas, about this seed, and why its traceability is so important.
Brazilian pine nut in Brazil: market figures still vary
The Brazilian pine nut, a seed from the Araucaria angustifolia (known as Paraná pine), is a product of great socioeconomic and cultural significance for Brazil, especially in the southern region.
However, there are no official and accurate data on the pine nut market in the country. “Illegal trade makes it difficult to get more accurate data,” says Rossana Godoy.
Nevertheless, a general overview can be drawn from available research and information. The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) estimates that in 2021, production was around 12,500 tons.
Most pine nuts produced in Brazil are cultivated and consumed in the southern region.
Similarly, Brazilian pine nut production is influenced by various climatic factors such as temperature and precipitation. Consequently, our harvests can vary significantly from year to year.
Traceability could help organize the sector!
To offer consumers a quality product with guaranteed origin, researchers are developing solutions to track the pine nut from collection to processing.
Pine nut traceability provides several benefits to producers and the market. According to Rossana Godoy, the main advantages include:
- Product quality in the market, marked by care and harvest dates;
- Selected seeds with preserved sensory characteristics;
- Transparency in the production chain.
The researcher highlights that these attributes create a consumer-producer loyalty. “We will have a shorter chain with more direct commercialization.”
Moreover, a traceable product is reliable and adds value to productive work, family farming, and the territory where the food originates.
How Does Pine Nut Traceability Work?
Essentially, Brazilian pine nut traceability works similarly to other agricultural products in Brazil.
For Brazilian pine nuts, the producer or cooperative will follow guidelines on how the process should be managed, from seed collection to packaging and labeling for the final producer.
To assist pine nut producers, Paraná researchers developed a brochure with guidelines to Brazilian pine nut farmers.
The brochure outlines best practices for collection, transport, processing, identification, and traceability of Brazilian pine nuts.
“When consumers go to the market, they can distinguish a selected onion from a common product , either by visual appearance or traceability information on the packaging. We want to encourage this practice among pine nut producers,” explained Rossana Godoy.
Here are some recommendations from the brochure:
- Selling ripe Brazilian pine nuts is better than selling green ones, as they have more flavor and a more pleasant texture;
- If collection is done using poles or by climbing trees, the pine cones should be physiologically ripe, meaning they should be green but with dark spots;
- Sort Brazilian pine nuts by size;
- Packaging should be standardized, with traceability information and identified lots. It should also include storage instructions for raw Brazilian pine nuts and those kept in the refrigerator.
It’s important to note that, as a pioneering initiative, the protocol may be updated or adjusted based on producer demands.
Challenges and opportunities of Brazilian pine nut traceability
While traceability is essential for ensuring the quality and sustainability of pine nut production, it faces significant challenges.
According to the Embrapa Florestas researcher, producers and cooperatives are still hesitant to adopt the process.
“Traceability needs to be economically viable, and consumers need to commit to the product, creating a routine and market flow for this differentiated product.”
Other challenges are:
- Informal economy: much of the Brazilian pine nut production and commercialization still occurs in the informal economy, without proper registration and control, making it difficult to track the production chain;
- Production variability: Brazilian pine nut production varies from year to year, complicating traceability management;
- Dispersed producers: Producers are spread across various regions, often in hard-to-reach areas, which makes implementing control systems challenging;
- Cost: implementing the system can be expensive, especially for small producers, which could be a barrier to adoption;
- Awareness: more work is needed to raise awareness among producers, cooperatives, and consumers about the importance and benefits of traceability;
- Legislation: Brazilian legislation on pine nut traceability is still vague, leading to uncertainties and complicating the implementation of efficient systems.
Opportunities mainly lie in expanding safe consumption, as explained by Rossana Godoy.
“Consumers who practice purchasing quality products will begin to identify the best products, which should create demand for high-quality items.”
The researcher adds, “With greater value added, the product will generate more income for the families that sell it.”
With these efforts, we will have a gourmet product of excellent quality in the market.
