Brazil nut trees grow up to 50 metres in height and the nuts mature approximately 14 months after pollination. Brazils are therefore not commercially grown in the way other tree nuts are.

The trees grow in the South American rainforest, and are a wholly foraged crop, which is why global yields are so low and inconsistent in size. In 2016, the El Niño effect meant that there were no December rains. This reduced the 2017 crop significantly, to just 8,000 tonnes in total (the average is 30,000 tonnes).

A South Korean TV program aired in 2017, hailing Brazil Nuts as a ‘supernut’, with significant health-giving benefits. This publicity meant that Brazil nut imports into South Korea went from zero to 30% of the global crop, reducing availability for the more established markets. As a consequence, manufacturers in the UK are moving away from Brazils in their products, and the price has  increased significantly.

If the Chinese market jumps on the same ‘supernut’ bandwagon as the South Koreans, we expect availability of Brazil nuts to dry up completely.