Verité Program Director Antonio Rosa speaks with a carnauba harvester in the northeastern region of Brazil
Most people have never heard of carnauba wax, yet this remarkable substance from palm trees in northeastern Brazil is a crucial ingredient in products we use every day—from gummy bears and lipstick to smartphones and pharmaceuticals. Behind this invisible ingredient, carnauba workers—oftentimes migrant laborers from across Brazil—have historically worked informally without contracts, working without basic protections, clean water, and sufficient food.
Through Verité’s partnership with Pontes, a leading Brazilian carnauba exporter committed to sustainability, we are addressing labor risks with human rights due diligence strategies.
Our intervention focuses on two critical areas:
- Training for producers and workers on labor rights and practical health and safety improvements.
- Embedding contractual frameworks and monitoring protocols between buyers and carnauba producers to guarantee dignified living standards for workers.
Setting the bar higher for the carnauba industry’s labor practices
This dual strategy equips workers with knowledge and creates sustainable changes within the carnauba supply chain in Brazil. Transforming the carnauba industry requires a systemic approach that centers worker rights and compels diverse global brands sourcing carnauba from Brazil to actively improve labor practices. Our goal is to show a practical path forward that other companies and industries can realistically adopt.
Verité Team Voices
“By introducing straightforward, focused interventions like water stations, protective gear, and shaded rest areas in the fields, producers can meaningfully improve workers’ quality of life. For many of the carnauba harvesters I spoke with, these seemingly modest adjustments made them feel genuinely recognized and valued, something they hadn’t experienced in years.”
– Antonio Rosa, Program Director, Brazil
