Historical, economic, and conservation aspects of babassu (Attalea spp.) in Maranhão, Brazil: review of a plant that changed the history of a people

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ABSTRACT This review aims to present data on the species of the Attalea (Arecaceae), as well as to describe the historical roots of its use, potentialities, and conservation tied to the formation of the identity of the babassu nut breakers. The study aims to present the environmental changes that the Maranhão ecosystems have undergone and associate the consequences of these changes with the activities carried out by the babassu nut breakers. A bibliographic review was conducted in several scientific publication databases, and land use/land cover data from the Institute of Geography and Statistics were used to create the maps. Maranhão had a considerable area of native vegetation that changed over the years due to the increase in agricultural activities and the reduction of babassu groves. The action of women was fundamental for increasing the enforcement and compliance with babassu protection laws and the consolidation of the babassu nut breakers’ movement.