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We describe and discuss palm heart production from wild Euterpe oleracea in Colombia and analyse the social, ecological and trade aspects determining its sustainability. Palm heart is harvested on communal lands by Afro-descendants, who receive US$0.1 per stem. To obtain an income corresponding to a minimum wage, a harvester would have to fell 167 stems per day, i.e. one palm stem every 3 min non-stop over 8 h of work. The pressure of this system leads to over-exploitation of the palm stands, causing local exhaustion of the resource, thus depriving communities of the palm fruit, a vital component of their diet. We evaluated in two harvest scenarios on non-harvested palm populations (annual harvest of either 75 or 50% of the stems), the availability of palm hearts, the number of harvesters per hectare and their net income. We also considered the possibility of doubling or tripling the income of primary producers without affecting the palm stands or increasing the harvesters' effort. The low market retail price of the final product precludes an improvement in the pay of harvesters or their work conditions. Today many consumers would pay a higher price if it were clear that the product they buy is being produced in a way that is environmentally friendly and socially fair. This information should be provided on the product label and it should be part of communication and education strategies. An alliance of supermarket chains and non-governmental organizations could positively influence attitudes toward the value of this product and help to make consumers aware of their responsibility regarding the fate of the palm and the fairness of its harvest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]