Acai bowls have been trending for a few years now in locations all over America. There are around 800 Acai Bowl businesses in America as of 2023. Though these bowls are healthy and delicious, the truth behind how these bowls are made is not so sweet.
According to an article from The CNN Freedom Project, Children in Brazil are picking acai berries on trees that are about 70 feet high. They jump on these palm trees and climb as high as they need to obtain the berries. Each bunch weighs around 10 pounds that they must deliver from the tree to the ground. Children should not be risking their lives to receive berries for acai bowls. More than 85% of acai consumption in the world comes from Brazil, meaning that there aren’t many other ways these companies will get their products.
Many acai harvesters suffer from back pains which lead to the inability to walk. A man who harvested acai berries named Wengleston said, “One day I was lifting a sack and I felt that my back had just ripped open.” In addition to this, there are countless stories of adults and children who have fallen from these trees sustaining horrible injuries including losing the ability to walk. In an article from CNN, they said, “On the day CNN joined the group, one of the workers harvesting on a nearby island lost consciousness after falling from an acai tree.” The main reason child labor is a crime is because of how dangerous adult jobs can be. Young children who are still learning how to function on their own should not be doing things that can severely hurt them. It’s hard for authorities to take care of this situation because in places where child labor is common, they are the most difficult to police. In addition to this, the children who are picking these berries are not able to bring home as much fruit because they are working so that acai berries can be sent to America. Their native fruit isn’t being used for them and their survival, but feeding Americans. Though currently there is not much action being done to stop this, reconsider buying acai bowls and consider spreading the word on the truth behind them. One small action can lead to a major change.
