Camu Camu: From Amazonian Riverbanks to Global Superfood Markets

Thursday, 11th September 2025

By Paula Perrelli dos Anjos

In our Harvest Chronicles, Amazonia Impact Ventures (AIV) brings you the story of a feel-good fruit: a champion of vitamin C concentration.

Hidden along the flood-prone banks of the Amazonian rivers grows a small fruit with extraordinary power: Camu Camu (Myrciaria dubia). This cherry-sized berry (with deep reddish-purple skin and a tart, citrusy bite) has been cherished for centuries by Indigenous communities as food, medicine, and a connection to the forest.

Camu Camu is celebrated as one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C on Earth: up to 60 times more than an orange. Just a teaspoon of its pulp powder can meet the daily requirement for an adult, making it a potent ally for immune health, collagen production, and antioxidant defence. It contains high levels of flavonoids and polyphenols that help combat oxidative stress, supporting the heart and reducing inflammation.

The fruit shrub thrives in seasonally flooded areas, where the roots drink in nutrient-rich waters, withstanding four to five months with the roots submerged in water. Harvesting is often done by canoe, with families carefully picking the ripe berries. The whole ecosystem of the area, including fish, birds and mammals, benefits from ingesting Camu Camu.

Consumed fresh, in juices, or as part of remedies, Camu Camu is now also processed into powders and extracts for export, creating a growing market that offers income opportunities for communities in the forest.

Backing Trade 

At Amazonia Impact Ventures, supporting ethically sourced produce from the region is a key strategy for balancing forest conservation with improving livelihoods through impact-linked finance. As part of the UK PACT project, AIV works closely with the Cooperative AgroIndustrial Yarinacocha (Coopay) and Campodrim Superfoods.

Coopay is a Peruvian cooperative managing 328 hectares and 185.5 hectares of certified organic Camu Camu on the banks of the River Ucayali. With 70 harvesters, they yield around six tons of fruit per hectare. Focusing on heritage knowledge, Campodrim produces high-quality purees made from six Amazon superfruits. They are renowned for supplying these to some of Lima’s most celebrated restaurants, including internationally award-winning establishments recognised among the world’s best.

Growth Performance

Camu Camu has only recently come into large-scale cultivation, and sales to the global market began in the mid‑1990s, with Japan being the major buyer. Now it has evolved into a promising export for Peru’s biobusiness sector. 

According to PROMPERÚ, based on SUNAT export records, Peru exported 143 tons of Camu Camu in various presentations (mainly powder and frozen pulp) between January and November 2024, reaching 28 international markets. Japan, the USA, and Canada were the top destinations.

Well-managed floodplain plantations can yield 8 to 12 tons per hectare annually, with farmgate prices for fresh fruit ranging from USD 0.80 to 1.20/kg. Processing into powder or extract multiplies the value, with export prices for high-quality powder reaching USD 20 to 25/kg in international markets.

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