Acai production has skyrocketed, increasing 40% since 2015. Authorities and experts are concerned about rising demand and want to ensure that crops are grown sustainably.

Açaí and cocoa extraction and farming have skyrocketed in Pará to meet the growing demand in Brazil and abroad. The situation raises a concern of environmentalists and authorities that the cultivation of typical forest products may turn into monocultures and contribute to the destruction of the Amazon.

The largest producer of açaí in the country, Pará sold over R$908 million in açaí and its derivatives, such as heart-of-palm, pulps, powder, and juices in 2020. About 130,000 producers are involved. Data comes from the Pará government. Just over a fifth of production was exported. Domestic consumption is concentrated in the southeastern states, Pará, the Federal District, and Ceará. 

Pará s for 94% of the national production of açaí. Just behind are Amazonas, with 5%, and Bahia, with less than 0.5%. Açaí production in Pará is mainly extractive, in municipalities such as Igarapé-Mirim, Cametá, and Abaetetuba – all close to the network of islands near the Amazon River delta. Agroforestry crops, associated with cocoa and other native plants, meet 20% of the demand for açaí.