OUR PEOPLE • PIAUÍ
A common palm tree on the islands of the Delta do Parnaíba, is a a fount of resources for the fishing families that use the trunk to build houses and the straw to cover them, to make wax and extract the powder.
The powder is used in the rubber industry, cosmetics, and production of capsules for medications. The process is the following: First the straw is knocked down and the’eyes’ (stalks) of the carnaúba tree. Left to dry, apart, for a week in the sun. After this time, when everything is already dry, between 18:00 and 4:00 o’clock they tie these elements together so the powder cannot escape. Afterwards, with a machine, they beat it to remove the poder. The powder of the ‘eye’ is worth more than the powder of the straw.