Building a berry empire in the Amazon – and Utah
EarthFruits is encouraging entrepreneurship in Belize as it brings exotic fruits to the U.S. What do you think of their global strategy?
From Fernanda Stefani It is not child labor, the children are not obliged to do anything. They actually like to climb in front of the cameras to show their skills. The people portrayed in the article belong to the same family who runs their own business. They own a small piece of land in the neighnborhood of igarape-miri. Everybody here climbs trees very easily. The acai helps them gather energy to do it. I have seen young and old locals climbing the trees, but the ones who live in the cities are not able to do that.
From Jason Stoons If that is child labor, how do you keep the kids from climbing the trees?
Might as well pay them for the effort.
From Alex Gerrard, Salt Lake City, Utah The "killer marketing strategy" they don't reveal in this story is multi-level marketing, direct sales or pyramid schemes as they've been called in the past. I assume the reporter asked who Earth-Fruits major customers were, right? Unfortunately, the product in every multi-level business and it's features/benefits are not what are really being sold. The way multi-level marketing organizations like Xango, or Goyin or Monavie successfully market the acai and other juices is less about it's benefits and more about finding out what each potential "distributor's" dreams are and selling their dreams back to them in exchange for a "business opportunity". The drastic markup required to pay the down-line mandates a product that can be obtained inexpensively, like nutritional supplements, vitamins, juices, makup, plastic products etc. Those which can be construed to be of vital almost miraculous importance for their health benefits. Reminiscent of "snake-oil salesmen" these fruit juice peddlers and the other schemers in Utah, the multi-level capital of the United States of America, should not be given such coverage by journalists unless their culture is investigated as well. The comment about the owner of the company needing to do some good for the disadvantaged family, in order to "sleep well" in their words implies there is guilt present at some level.
From Pat Kashtock, Woodbridge, VA Actually, I found the picture of the mother and son working together to harvest the berries intriguing. It does not seem to be the same as child slavery for a couple of reasons, but I cannot be sure.
With slavery, the children are often taken away from their parents. Sometimes though, whole families are enslaved, but in those cases it does not appear that children work with parents.
Besides, in the USA farming families have always incorporated their children into the work. They were still able to attend school, if a local school existed.
With the small amount of information given, one cannot say for certain which situation this one is, but from the general sense of the article it would appear to be one of free enterprise — one of choice, not forced labor.
Pat Kashtock
Take It For What It’s Worth
From Pat, Corning Ohio I think the best way to promote a new tropical fruit on its taste is to set up stands in local groceries and let the people taste it. Samples…with examples of what it is good for. People are always looking for more natural ways to promote health.
From Alex Sánchez, N.Y., N.Y. Beautiful article, I´ve heard that in Bolivia there are also collecting Açai and other Amazonic Fruits. As for the children, don´t forget that job opportunities are scarce there…
From HJC Nice business model, but stop using 12 year olds to pick fruit. If they were in the clothing industry CNN would be screaming "child labor"
From Donald Barner, Lansing, MIch What an awesome philosophy, harvest in a way that doesn't harm the natural climate and also help the people instead of "taking advantage" of them. Helping them help themselves is making a better world for all of us. Thanks EarthFruits
From Susan Kozacek Thank you EarthFruits for your efforts in promoting a business that capitalizes on sustaining tropical forests instead of cutting them down, burning them, then growing grass for cattle. Businesses such as yours prove that sustainable value from the native tropical plants far outweighs the short term values of livestock grazing in an area that was never meant to sustain cattle.
From Kevin, Keller TX Way to go EarthFruits. I love that name! For those of you who never heard of the powerful Acai Berry, here's a great informational website: http://www.acai-berry.com
"Way to go EarthFruits. I love that name! For those of you who never heard of the powerful Acai Berry, here’s a great informational website: http://www.acai-berry.com"
Isn't that site run by the same guy who was cited by the FDA for advertising Monavie in violation of federal regulations?
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/EnforcementActivitiesbyFDA/CyberLetters/ucm056937.pdf