The objective of this study was to characterize the extraction and analyze the financial viability of Brazil nut extraction in three municipalities in the Lower Amazon Mesoregion, state of Para, Brazil. Interviews were conducted with 40 workers and 9 dealers selected by intentional non-probabilistic sampling. Economic viability was estimated by extraction cost, net revenue (NR), family labor remuneration (FLR), and family labor income (FLI). The following amounts of FLI were recorded: R$ 2,419.56 (Almeirim), R$ 983.22 (Obidos) and R$ 831.03 (Oriximiná). The FLR amounts for extraction were R$ 24.69, R$ 23.98, and R$ 26.47, respectively for the municipalities above mentioned, which were close to the opportunity cost for the study region. The extraction of Brazil nuts appears to be financially viable for extraction workers, with family labor remuneration equals or greater than the opportunity cost of the region. Besides promoting the conservation of the forest, this activity is also an extra source of income for the Amazonian community.
Bertholletia excelsa; family labor; non-timber forest product