Coffí: From Açaí Seed to Market, Innovation and Autonomy in the Amazon

In the village of Km 1700, in Imperatriz, agro-extractive families faced an abundant waste product: the açaí pit, which, after processing the fruit, was discarded without a proper destination. But, with creativity and community work, they transformed the problem into an opportunity. From a simple experiment, a hot and aromatic beverage, similar to coffee, was born. "We decided to roast it and saw that it made an excellent drink," says Elcilene Alencar, president of the Associação Agroextrativistas Familiares Solidários (Association of Solidarity Family Agro-extractive Producers).

The artisanal knowledge, developed from oral tradition and home testing, began to gain structure with the support of the Ecos Fund, from ISPN, with resources from the Amazon Fund. The partnership enabled the construction of a community agro-industry for açaí processing, with a space dedicated exclusively to roasting and preparing the pit. This structuring gave solidity to the initiative, allowing the product to reach a standard of quality and hygiene for the local and regional market.

The initiative gained even more momentum with the collaboration of the Faculty of Imperatriz (Facimp), through Enactus Brazil. The partnership resulted in training in marketing, management, and product development, culminating in the creation of a brand, with a name and packaging: Coffí. The product, which does not contain caffeine, has a bitter aroma and taste, and is now sold at local fairs and stores. Student Klenne Lys, coordinator of Enactus Brazil at Facimp, highlights that institutional support raised the standard of production and also contributed to "the feeling of appreciation for women for having one of their products recognized."