Created 36 years ago as the National Cashew Research Center, Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical, a unit of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) located in Fortaleza-CE, impacted the growth of different production chains in Brazil. The extensive collection of contributions includes clonal materials, processing methods and management techniques in the field and agribusiness.
Solutions include 13 cashew clones; five acerola clones; two sapota/sapoti cultivars; a melon cultivar; in addition to guidelines for managing different crops; advances in post-harvest techniques; processing routes to obtain high standard products and full use of raw materials, through the generation of co-products.
Cashew farming is the most powerful example of the results generated by this research center. Dwarf cashew clones represent the main axis of the broad technological package developed for different stages of the production process. A set of technologies that contributed to the transformation of an extractive activity into a complex and sustainable production chain.
Coconut farming also received an important contribution. Since 1998, Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical has been developing technologies for the extraction and processing of green coconut water and the use of its co-products, which have enabled the expansion of the Brazilian packaged coconut water industry. The development of innovations related to irrigation and application of fertilizers in coconut cultivation promotes savings in resources such as water and additives for fruit nutrition and pest and disease control. In the industry, solutions seek products of higher quality and durability, such as packaged coconut water.
Still in coconut farming, Embrapa technologies enable the full processing of coconuts. Although the marketing focus is on green coconut water, the shell waste has potential for the manufacture of biodegradable polymers. Rich in starch and fiber, the co-product can help in the structural reinforcement of bioplastics.
Obtained through a genetic improvement program, cashew clones have a reduced and uniform size, and greater resistance to pests, diseases and water stress - an important characteristic, considering that several growing regions do not have favorable climatic conditions.
“The dwarf cashew clone constitutes the main technological asset generated, providing productivity gains, homogeneity in production, ease of cultural treatments and market expansion”, defines Lucas Leite, researcher and former general head of the Unit. The small size of the tree also made it possible to use the peduncle (the part of the cashew from which the juice is produced) and opened the doors to another agribusiness model, focused on the full use of cashews. This is because, in the case of orchards made up of dwarf cashew clones, the fruit can be harvested manually, which is not possible in common cashew orchards, as the trees can reach a height of 20 meters.
With manual harvesting, the regions that started to adopt the clones launched by Embrapa have also managed to cope better with the crisis the sector is going through. By using the stalk, whether for the table cashew market or for the production of juices, producers are not as susceptible to low prices for cashew nuts on the international market.
The full use of cashew is the most economically sustainable option for the activity, which can benefit from operating in a biorefinery logic. The increase in income, resulting from the use of the peduncle and residues, such as cashew bagasse and waste from cashew tree pruning, protects producers from the low price charged on the international nut market.
When using the stalk, the first product to be evaluated in sustainable production is the table cashew, as it has a higher market value. The sale of the product in trays was only possible with the post-harvest and packaging technology developed by Embrapa. Thus, the product that only lasted three days – insufficient time to be transported to regions far from the production area – was expanded, allowing the market to expand. Today, it is possible to buy fruits harvested in Ceará in São Paulo. "Today, we have approximately 21 days for the fruits to be stored at the indicated temperature and humidity, using PVC and trays", explains researcher Carlos Farley.
To use the peduncle, however, there are many other possible routes. The most widespread are the production of juices, cashews and feed. Embrapa is investing in studies to develop high-value-added products, such as dyes, deodorized juice, fiber, among others.
“The great value generation of agricultural products comes from their industrialization. So, starting to look at tropical fruit growing products and generating solutions for industrialization is the motto for change”, highlights Gustavo Saavedra, general manager of Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical, regarding the importance of agro-industrial processes. An example of a solution, both for small and large industries, are mini cashew nut factories, which incorporate new advances in equipment and processes. With production on a reduced scale, this model produces almonds with better quality attributes, mainly in flavor, color, odor and integrity.
When processing cashews, for example, an oil rich in fatty acids, a source of oleic acid, is extracted from the almond and can be used in salads and to finish dishes. In addition to being beneficial to health, the oil solves a problem in the processing industry: adding value to cracked almonds.
From the peduncle, not only juices and sweets are produced. The discovery of carotenoid extract, a substance that is a source of active antioxidants and can be used in the food and pharmaceutical industries, adds value to the raw material. At the end of the stalk processing line, the bagasse remains, also transformed into a new product: dehydrated cashew fiber.
Dehydrated cashew fiber focuses on generating different technological routes to obtain a base ingredient that can be incorporated by the food industry in the formulation of plant-based foods, that is, entirely plant-based, which mimic proteins of animal origin. Gustavo Saavedra highlights that co-products provide a new source of revenue for industries and promote sustainability: “This brings sustainability to production systems, because that same raw material now has other purposes”
The development of the early dwarf cashew tree boosted activity in the Northeast, especially in the states of Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte and Piauí. Rio Grande do Norte stood out in the organization and growth of the sector. Between 2012 and 2017, the state experienced a severe drought that made it impossible to plant several crops and sentenced old cashew trees to death. Given this, Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical and several state institutions came together to develop recovery strategies.
In addition to the creation of new nurseries, training, consultancy for producers and technical missions, the transformative factor in the region's scenario was the adoption of dwarf cashew tree clones. “Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical is extremely important in the development of innovation technologies for cashew farming, developing new clones, such as BRS 555”, highlights Franco Marinho, Fruit Growing manager at Sebrae-RN.
In the municipality of Severiano Melo, the most important hub for cashew farming in RN, the average yield of areas cultivated for cashew nuts stagnated at 43 kg/ha in 2012. A decade later, the scenario was transformed with the adoption of cashew clones -dwarf, which produce more in smaller areas. In 2022, yield rose to 487 kg/ha, as revealed by data from the Municipal Agricultural Production Survey (PAM-IBGE).
With the effective implementation of these actions, the scenario appears optimistic when evaluating the production of cashew nuts in the state. As the main product of the chain, cashew nut production until October 2023 was 16,4% higher than in the same period of the previous year, as revealed by IBGE's Systematic Survey of Agricultural Production. In 2023, production of 19,3 thousand tons exceeded the quantity obtained in 2022, of 16,6 thousand tons.
Furthermore, the implementation of new clonal technologies resulted in an increase in average yield. In 2022, each planted hectare produced 352 kg of cashew nuts. This year, yield rose to 399 kg/ha, an increase of 13,3%.
The creation of Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical is closely related to cashew cultivation and has antecedents at the Pacajus Experimental Station. In 1974, the equipment was transferred to the extinct Agricultural Research Company of Ceará (EPACE), creating the Pacajus State Research Execution Unit (UEPAE Pacajus). Just over a decade later, in 1987, the structure was incorporated into Embrapa, becoming the National Cashew Research Center (CNPCa).
It was the Pacajus Experimental Station, then UEPAE, that launched the first dwarf cashew clone in 1983, CCP 76. Research into dwarf cashew clones continued with Embrapa, from the CNPCa and continued with Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical. In 1993, the center's mission was expanded, incorporating several other production chains, with a focus on agro-industrialization. Thus, the Unit was renamed Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical, covering the processing of tropical raw materials.
“Based on this new configuration, the Unit’s agenda was expanded. Cashew continued as the flagship product, but demands involving raw materials of relevance to tropical agroindustry began to be met. For example, dwarf coconuts, acerola, melon and others”, highlights researcher Lucas Leite.
The creation of the Multi-User Natural Products Chemistry Laboratory, the Biomass Technology Laboratory, the Food Packaging Laboratory, as well as the restructuring of the Agroindustrial Processes Laboratory were made possible by this incentive. Thus, a new level was established in the profile of the study and research agenda at the Unit.
In almost four decades, Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical has played an important role in agricultural activities in the Northeast. At the state level, the Unit contributed to the transformation of family farming, responsible for 67% of the food that reaches Brazilians' tables, and fostering partnerships with the public-private initiative.
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