Congratulations to Dr. Eduardo Brondizio, on his new book, The Amazonian Caboclo and the Açaí Palm: Forest Farmers in the Global Market, which was published by the New York Botanical Garden, and launched on June 5, 2008, in New York City.
IU Bloomington Anthropology Chair Eduardo Brondizio tells the story of the boom in the açaí fruit economy — from a rural staple to a chic health food delicacy in national and international markets — and examines the development of the production systems and commodity chains required to supply the burgeoning demand for this fruit. His new book also carefully reconsiders the contested and stigmatized history of the social identity of caboclos — Brazilians who are descended from both Amerindians and Europeans. Brondizio explains how the Amazonian caboclos who inhabit the Amazonian estuarine floodplains are forest farmers who have been transforming their forest environment, sometimes imperceptibly, for generations. The boom in açaí provides an invaluable window through which the society, ecological knowledge, and economic life of those who produce the fruit can be viewed. Brondizio is known for combining many aspects of life in his studies and books, from the unique cultural practices of the people he studies to their economy and ecological relationships. The Amazonian Caboclo and the Açaí Palm: Forest Farmers in the Global Market is published by The New York Botanical Garden Press. Charles Peters, editor of the press’ series Advances in Economic Botany, said, “Author Eduardo S. Brondízio’s treatment of caboclos and açaí sets a new standard in the study of people and plants.”
