<p></p><p>Cashew producers from the Brazilian northeastern state of Piauí believe that the World Cup being hosted by Brazil this year is a great opportunity to sell cashew nuts. The Cashew Producers Cooperative Central of the State of Piauí (Cocajupi) was selected and is preparing to supply hotels, restaurants, supermarkets and tourist attractions in the cities where matches will be played. President of Cocajupi, Jocibel Belchior, is optimistic about these sales.</p> <p> “Our product has good presentation, the people coming for the World Cup have a higher purchasing power, and will want a good quality product,” states Belchior. He believes that supplying the product to tourists during the World Cup may even open opportunities for exports. Among the tourists, he believes, could be people interested in trade. “They are coming to see what Brazil has to offer,” says the president. </p><p>Cocajupi was selected by the project Talents of Rural Brazil, whose objective is to insert products and services from family agriculture in the tourist market. The cooperative is being trained by the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae). According to Belchior, they have already been visited by a Sebrae technician, who is now preparing a report on the points that need to be improved to better serve tourists. </p><p>Participating in this project, however, does not guarantee World Cup clients for Cocajupi. The cooperative will have to work hard to enter the market in the competition’s hosting cities. It will also participate in initiatives which will put them in contact with entrepreneurs in the tourism sector, such as the business roundtables at Equipotel and Salão do Turismo, two trade fairs taking place this year. Both events, however, take place after the World Cup Games. </p><p>The cashew producers sell packaged cashew nuts under the brand name Cocajupi. Packets vary from 50 grams to 22.68 kilos. The production is in the hands of 450 cooperative members, from ten cities in Piauí, which are part of nine cooperatives in the state. Cocajupi, whose headquarters is in the city of Picos, is the central cooperative, also responsible for selling the products. </p><p>Great part of the cashews nuts is sold to the foreign market. Last year, the central cooperative shipped 20 tons to Italy. This year, it should export another 20.5 tons. In 2013, Cocajupi only produced between 25 and 30 tons due to the drought that affected the region. The drought also affected production in 2012. “We lost about 85% of the harvest,” says Belchior. With this, use of the production capacity was at around 20%. </p><p>Cocajupi was founded in 2005 and started operating in 2007. It is certified to work in fair trade, where it found a way to make business viable. The cooperative’s president explains that because initially production was mainly manual, it was not feasible to sell out of fair trade, as prices would not cover the production costs. </p><p>A company that is fair trade certified means that it complies with ecological and economic sustainability standards, and the entrepreneur receives more for the product. Cocajupi has now modernized their operations and is better equipped to compete in the traditional market. </p><p> </p><br><p></p>