Babassu coconut breakers

The babassu coconut breakers (Portuguese: Quebradeiras de coco babaçu) are groups formed by women from traditionally extractive communities in the states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Pará and Piauí.

Scattered throughout the areas where the babassu palm tree occurs, the breakers have developed unique ways of managing the land, as well as their own code of organization for their activities. Their main or secondary source of family income is the collection and breaking of the babassu fruit, in order to separate the almond from the shell.

The babassu coconut seed is oily and is used as a raw material for various manufactured products, in addition to serving as food for the coconut breakers and their families.

The leaves of this palm tree, which can reach 20 meters in height and have clusters of inflorescences, are used to make roofs for houses, baskets and other handicrafts; the stem is used to make fertilizer and the structure of buildings; the coconut shell is used to produce charcoal for making fire, and its mesocarp is used to make porridge for children; the almond is used to make oil, which is used mainly in food but also as fuel and lubricant, and in the manufacture of soap.

The collection and breaking of the fruit is usually done by women, who go out together to collect the coconut. The breaking is done by hand, using a stone and a small axe, extracting 4 to 5 almonds from the coconut.

It is estimated that 1 million babassu breakers live in the states where the palm tree is found.

In 2007, the quebradeiras were officially recognized as a traditional people, falling within the scope of the policy for the sustainable development of traditional communities.

The Constitution of the state of Maranhão guarantees the protection of babassu palm groves as a source of income for rural workers, ensuring their exploitation on public lands.