seringueiro

rubber tree tapper

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July 21, 2026

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A seringueiro is a rubber tree tapper, primarily from Brazil. These individuals harvest latex, a milky liquid, from Hevea trees.123

The process involves making a cut in the tree's bark, allowing the latex to exude. This latex is a suspension containing cis-polyisoprene, a rubbery polymer. A tree can be tapped every couple of days, yielding a small amount of solid rubber each time. Rubber trees are typically tapped for about 20 years, starting when they are 5 or 6 years old. The harvested latex is then processed to recover the rubber, often through coagulation with acid.2

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Chico Mendes
…defended the interests of the seringueiros, or rubber tree tappers, in the Amazonian state of Acre, calling for land reform and preservation of the Amazon Rainforest. His activism won him recognition throughout Brazil and internationally but also provoked the enmity of local ranchers, who eventually arranged his murder.
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…defended the interests of the seringueiros, or rubber tree tappers, in the Amazonian state of Acre, calling for land reform and preservation of the Amazon Rainforest. His activism won him recognition throughout Brazil and internationally but also provoked the enmity of local ranchers, who eventually arranged his murder.
Read More