Key Facts
—Who. ApexBrasil, Brazil’s federal export-promotion agency, announced the programme at the COP31 United Nations climate summit in Antalya, Turkey.
—Target. About R$9.5 billion (US$1.7 billion) in exports of forest and community-made products over four years.
—Scale. Supported businesses would rise from 600 to 1,100, across 28 product chains including açaí and Brazil nuts.
—Unconfirmed. Some accounts say R$9.6 billion; one adds an R$81 million training budget.
—Power Index. Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 74.2 points (November 2026 edition).
—As of 12 November 2026, 19:00 GMT.
ApexBrasil, Brazil’s export-promotion agency, wants about US$1.7 billion in sales of açaí, Brazil nuts and other forest products over four years. The plan is to double the number of small producers and cooperatives it helps sell abroad.
What ApexBrasil Announced
ApexBrasil announced a programme to promote exports of “sociobiodiversity” products, meaning goods made from the sustainable use of natural resources. It did so at COP31, the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations climate convention, now under way in Antalya, Turkey.
The target is about R$9.5 billion (US$1.7 billion at R$5.64 per US$1) in exports over four years. Some accounts of the announcement give R$9.6 billion, which is also about US$1.7 billion.
The programme covers 28 product chains, among them açaí (an Amazonian palm berry), Brazil nuts, cupuaçu (a fruit related to cacao) and honey. It includes 103 trade-promotion actions, such as international fairs, business meetings and company missions.
Who Gets Help and How
ApexBrasil says the 600 sociobiodiversity businesses it supports now account for about R$1.8 billion (US$320 million) in exports. Of these, 450 are cooperatives, or 75% of the businesses it serves.
The programme would add about 500 more businesses, taking the total to 1,100, an increase of about 83%. They include cooperatives, family farms, forest gatherers (known in Brazil as extractivists) and traditional communities.
ApexBrasil plans to write an individual business plan for each business and to bring about 350 foreign buyers to Brazil to meet producers. Its president, Laudemir Müller, says the agency has more than 3,000 international buyers in its network and has seen interest in Brazilian products grow.
Why the Plan Is Aimed at Small Producers
Müller said the agency must “take our companies, cooperatives and entrepreneurs by the hand”. He spoke in the corridors of COP31, and the quote is our translation from Portuguese.
The preparation step is meant to bring in businesses that do not export yet. ApexBrasil, which is linked to Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC), says foreign interest in Brazilian goods tied to sustainability is turning into real trade.
What It Means for You
For US buyers of açaí, Brazil nuts and similar products, the plan points to more supply from small Brazilian producers, with ApexBrasil acting as the matchmaker. It is a target, not a contract, and no buyer or market has been named.
The goal also sits alongside Brazil’s wider push to widen its export markets, which we followed in our reports on Brazil’s exports to the European Union and the export relief package after US tariffs. Our Brazil news page tracks the trade story, and our report on COP31 covers the host country’s own agenda.
What Is Not Known
We found no official trade series for the 28 product chains, so the R$1.8 billion baseline rests on ApexBrasil’s own figure, and its period was not stated in the accounts we reviewed. It is also unclear whether the target counts all exports of the supported businesses or only sales that follow from the programme.
One account reports R$81 million (about US$14 million) for training small businesses, which the other accounts do not mention, and we found no start date for the first fairs and buyer missions. The R$9.5 billion and R$9.6 billion figures differ by about US$18 million, and a published ApexBrasil document would settle which is correct.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are sociobiodiversity products?
They are goods made from the sustainable use of natural resources by farmers, forest gatherers and traditional communities. Examples in this programme are açaí, Brazil nuts, cupuaçu and honey.
How much does ApexBrasil want to export?
About R$9.5 billion (US$1.7 billion) over four years, according to the figure we could confirm. Some accounts give R$9.6 billion.
What is ApexBrasil?
It is the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, linked to the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services. It helps Brazilian companies sell abroad and attract investment.
Sources: ApexBrasil statements at COP31, 12 November 2026 (https://apexbrasil.com.br); Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (https://www.gov.br/mdic); United Nations climate change conference COP31 (https://unfccc.int). Exchange rate: R$5.64 per US$1, market close data of 12 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error
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