Citrus Fruits What are citrus fruits? Do we grow these fruits in the United States?

Avocados Brazil produces 30% of the world’s avocados. The fruit is not sweet, but fatty, strongly flavored, and has a smooth, creamy texture. The fruit is used in sushi, on sandwiches, and is sometimes made into a smoothie.

Sugarcane Sugar provides a major business for Brazilians. Brazilian sugarcane is usually exported and refined.

Cacao (k-kA-O) Tree Cocoa is the dried seed of the Cacao tree. This seed is what chocolate products are made from. Cacao trees are only found in very warm regions of the world. They are only found within approximately 10 degrees north and south of the equator.

Coffee Production Take a minute to write down what you think the coffee making process may entail.

Coffee in Brazil Coffee was introduced to Brazil in Brazil is the world’s largest coffee producer. Coffee is Brazil’s number one export.

From Brazil to our cups When the white blossoms of the coffee trees drop off, the coffee berries begin to ripen. They turn from green to dark red. The berries are the size of a marble. Each berry must be picked by hand and then washed in a machine to take off the skin. Inside each berry are two beans. These beans are laid out in the sun to dry. Men used wooden rakes to move the beans around while they dry. Then the beans are put in big burlap bags and shipped all over the world to factories where the coffee is roasted, ground, and put in cans or packages.

Brazilian Coffee Plantations Each plantation has millions of coffee trees. In Brazil, coffee plantations are called Fazendas. Hundreds of people work on the plantation.

Fazendas Fazendas are small coffee communities. Families may live separately, but most live with other plantation families. The families share, trade, and help each other live. There are many houses on each fazenda. Some may have a very small school, a small church, and even a very small store.

Fazendas Adults are not the only ones who pick berries. Children also help pick the berries on the fazenda. Everyone helps as much as they can.

Fazendas Many children who live on the coffee plantations with their families do not go to school. The children are taught all they know from someone in their community and by their parents. If their parents have worked on the plantation all their lives, they will probably continue working their for the rest of their life, too.

Think about it… Think about how it might be like to live on a fazenda. How would your life be different? Would it or could you life stay the same in some ways? Would you like it?

Your Task Pretend you and your family now live on a fazenda in Brazil. Write about a day on the coffee plantation. What time did you get up? What did you eat? Where did you get the food? Did you work a lot? What kind of work did you do? Did you go to school? What did you do for fun? What time did you go to bed? Do you have anything to look forward to?