1. Women are at the center of the babassu story.

2. Coconut (copra), palm kernel or babassu oil and fractions thereof, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified.

3. Babassu palm trees grow on 185,000 square km of land in four Brazilian states, an area equivalent to half of the territory of Japan.

4. Thus, harvesting the babassu coconuts is more similar to farming than other activities involving more widely dispersed wild-growing trees or vegetation, such as rubber-tapping in the Amazon jungle.

5. Organic babassu oil Provides 12 rural communities of women with the rare opportunity of regular work and income, whilst help to preserve the amazon forest.

6. Community Trade sesame, organic olive and organic babassu oil - Leaves skin soft,[http:///babassu.html] smooth and supple.

7. But they can also cause social damage, as locals fear in the case of industrial-scale exploitation of babassu palm trees, which grow abundantly in the wild in central and northern Brazil.

8. Another ongoing struggle waged by the quebradeiras is regaining free access to groves of babassu palm trees on private land, and preserving access to trees on public land.

9. Includes Community Trade oil from Nicaragua, organic oil from Italy and organic babassu oil from Brazil.

10. But some states have only granted the women legal access to trees on public land, leaving authorisation to harvest coconuts from babassu groves on private land up to the owner.

11. Some 400,()000 women and their families living on the eastern edge of the Amazon jungle depend on the babassu palm (Orbignya phalerata) for a livelihood.

12. Fats of this group are derived from certain species of palm, such as coconut and babassu.

13. An effective daily anti-aging skin cream should also keep the skin hydrated; so, it should contain natural emollients like Jojoba oil, Avocado oil, Maracuja, Babassu and Grapeseed oil.

14. Ever so kind to stressed, sensitive lips, this balm's packed with natural waxes, comforting chamomile extract, gentle jojoba and babassu, moisturizing provitamin B5 and protective vitamin E.

15. Since then, the MIQCB has successfully pushed for passage of several municipal laws that have guaranteed the quebradeiras access to babassu palm trees on both public and privately-owned land.

16. However, the bioenergy boom could change things, with new and powerful actors fighting over babassu palm trees.

17. Under Maranh?o state law, it is illegal to cut down babassu palm trees.

18. The movement is fighting for the conservation of threatened groves of babassu palm.

19. The traditional quebradeira communities also use the leaves of the tall babassu palm tree for roof thatch, woven house walls, and basket-making, while the trunks can be used as building materials.

20. After 30 years of campaigning against large landowners, the women babassu breakers won legal rights to go onto the land and extract the babassu nuts.