What (super)food products can Brazilian companies offer Europe? Of course there are exotic fruits like pineapple, banana, coconut and watermelon, and well-known commodities like soya, sugar and meat that come from Brazil, but the trend towards superfoods also comes from Brazil!
Brazil produces a lot of food
Brazil is the largest country in South America and most of the Amazon rainforest is located in Brazil. Brazil’s natural terrain is a bounty of superfoods – foods known for their nutrient-rich content and immense health properties. Brazil is responsible for almost 25% of the world’s food production. It’s products include: sugar, soybeans, tobacco, coffee, cotton, and orange juice.
Brazil has gained ground in the beef, chicken, and pork industries as well. With production this high, little food has to be imported. Imported products are mainly manufactured good and machinery. Some food stuff is imported, but export is bigger. Brazil exports agricultural products to many countries. The principal countries of export include the United States, Germany, The Netherlands, Japan, and the Middle East.
Which are the superfoods that originally come from Brazil?
Açaí berries, also known as “Purple Gold”, are the fruits of the Northern Brazilian Açai palm and are a hit in as well Australia as Europe. Guaraná berries also originate from Brazil. The extract from the fruit is considered a stimulating alternative to coffee and green tea, as it is rich in natural caffeine, the reason why it is a basic ingredient in many energy drinks. Are you already familiar with Camu Camu? This tropical fruit from the Amazon has a high nutritional value and contains the highest amount of vitamin C in the world! The berries are fairly new on the market, but their popularity is growing worldwide. And did you know that many roasted cashew nuts come from the Brazilian tropics and the Amazon region? Cupuaçu also comes from the Brazilian rainforest and belongs to the same family as cocoa. Cupuaçu is called a superfood, just like Açaí, Guarana and Brazil nuts. Also Cassave is more an more being seen as a superfood.
Cassave: the most important vegetable crop in the world
Cassava also originally comes from Brazil. Nowadays, the world production amounts to more than 185 million tons! This makes it the most important vegetable crop in the world. In Europe cassava is processed in various foodstuffs, such as all-purpose binder or the well-known cassava crackers. Fresh cassava is sparsely available. We see it mainly in street markets or foreign oriented supermarkets.
Only few Europeans know that the leaves of cassava can be used to treat headaches and heal wounds. And did you know that cassava contains high amounts of resistant starch? The colon bacteria love this type of starch. They produce beneficial substances that can reduce inflammation in the gut. Cassava also contains many anti-nutrients such as saponins, phytic acid and tannins.
Brazilian companies are happy to serve the European market
Brazilian entrepreneurs are happy to expand their business to Europe. Not only do they want to earn money and avoide the pitfalls of a falling currency, but also they want the future of their business to be more predictable, by doing long-term business with trustworthy European importers. There are lots of young, innovative companies that need more stability and continuity for achieving success. To be able to diversify risks, entrepreneurs should target other than the internal Brazilian and Latin American markets. They need solutions for possible problems when starting business expansion to Europe.
Finding a superfood supplier in Brazil
Especially if you don’t speak Portuguese, it’s more difficult to get to the source of the food chain, where you can get the best quality against good prices. Alliance experts can find you the right suppliers in Brazil. For this we have the following approach:
- We draft a sourcing document with specifications on what product or service you need and the type of supplier you are looking for.
- We will share your information in our network and start searching for potential vendors. This will result in up to 10 vendors that we share your more detailed information with to see whether they are interested to quote on this.
- Depending on the complexity of your needs, we will directly forward you their quotations, or bring them into contact with you for further clarifications.
- Optional: We make appointments with the short-listed companies for you, in a specified timeframe
- Optional: We join you in the calls or visits to the short-listed companies, and help you during the meetings
- We advise you in the vendor selection, so you can close the deal.
For the above package we will set a fixed fee, depending on the product that you are looking for. You will get a clear report with all the contact details of the parties we spoke with and their initial responses. If you want you can take it from there.
If our services continue and you want us to support you in the vendor communications and in negotiations, you will pay a percentage of the purchasing volume to us, based on the type of product and the project value. This way our fees are in relation with your purchasing volume.
