Mint and peppermint are the aromatic plants with the highest industrial consumption in Brazil — with menthol being one of the most widely used pharmaceutical ingredients, present in candies, toothpaste, topical analgesics, and cosmetics. The essential oil of peppermint (Mentha piperita) has a global market of US$ 1 billion and steady growth.
Brazil has the potential to become one of the world's largest producers of mint oil — with Paraná and São Paulo already having a tradition of production. The market for fresh and organic mint tea is growing 25% per year in Brazil, and the essential oil of mint has increasing applications in natural cosmetics and aromatherapy.
When mint and peppermint are cultivated with high-yielding varieties of menthol and distilled with quality, this segment can greatly contribute to job and income generation in Brazil.
Join our strategic actions to implement the best solutions in the Brazilian agricultural sector. Our activities, studies, and advanced research cover 20 chains and the 255 segments of national agriculture — from the grain chain to sustainable extraction, through horticulture, fruit growing, livestock, and much more.
The Innovation for Brazil to Produce More series was developed specifically to identify and implement the best available solutions in Brazil and worldwide, across the 255 segments of the agricultural sector — with accessible technical language, updated data, and a focus on practical results for producers, suppliers, governments, and marketers.
1. Opportunities for Small Rural Producers
How to produce and distill mint and peppermint with quality for the industrial market
Industrial-quality mint starts with high menthol content varieties — Mentha arvensis (menthol content over 70%) for the pharmaceutical industry; Mentha piperita (menthol 40 to 50%) for cosmetics and food. Steam distillation immediately after harvesting is the process with the highest yield and quality.
✔ Mentha arvensis — menthol over 70%; industrial pharmaceutical standard
✔ Mentha piperita — menthol 40 to 50%; cosmetics and food
✔ Immediate steam distillation after harvest — maximum yield
✔ Menthol analysis by GC — required quality standard
✔ PRONAF for medicinal herbs in the South and Southeast
The E-Book 01 — Strategic Manual for the Small Rural Producer presents, in detail, the best solutions for this segment and the other 254 of Brazilian agriculture — focusing on method, cost reduction, and progressive growth from Agro 1.0 to Agro 6.0. Access now for BRL 99.00 →
2. Opportunities for Micro and Small Local Suppliers
What equipment does a mint distillery require
A mint distillery requires steam stills and menthol analyzers — with growing demand for mini-distilleries of cooperative scale.
Solutions by engineering area applied to the segment
Our activities, studies, and advanced research cover six major engineering areas — and the chain requires solutions in all of them:
Electrical Engineering and Computing — steam stills with temperature control;
Electronic Engineering and IoT — distillation temperature sensors;
Control and Automation Engineering — condensers and oil separators;
Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering — essential oil filling machines;
Renewable Energy Engineering — biomass from the plant for still energy;
Data Science and Artificial Intelligence — batch traceability and GC analysis.
✔ Steam stills for mint and peppermint
✔ Menthol analyzers by gas chromatography
✔ Essential oil filling machines
✔ Pharmaceutical quality certification
✔ Consulting in essential oil distillation
The E-Book 02 — Strategic Guide for the Micro and Small Local Supplier maps, segment by segment, the business opportunities — focusing on IoT, energy, automation, and specialized technical services. Access now for BRL 99.00 →
3. Opportunities for Municipal Governments
How the municipality can support the mint distillery and create an essential oils hub
The mint distillery is the agro-industry with the highest value per ton of biomass among medicinal plants — and the municipality that supports the collective distillery creates an industrial export product.
✔ Municipal collective distillery of essential oils
✔ Municipal IDM: locally produced mint essential oil
✔ Partnership with the pharmaceutical industry for menthol contracts
✔ PNAE with organic local mint tea for school meals
✔ Aromatic Herbs Festival — identity and tourism
The E-Book 03 — Reference Guide for Municipal Governments presents the step-by-step process for municipal secretaries and managers to implement effective public policies for the 255 segments of agriculture. Access now for BRL 99.00 →
4. Opportunities for Small Agricultural Product Merchants
How mint and peppermint generate business for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries
The crystallized menthol from Mentha arvensis is the pharmaceutical ingredient with the highest volume in the entire medicinal plants chain — present in Gelol, Tiger Balm, mint candies, and toothpaste from dozens of brands. Producers supplying menthol with a purity of 98%+ have long-term industrial contracts.
The organic peppermint essential oil is the top-selling product in aromatherapy and natural cosmetics — and the producer who certifies organically has access to contracts with natural cosmetic brands that pay a growing premium for tracked oil from identified origins.
Products with high commercial potential
The main products derived from this segment for local retail and foodservice:
Pharmaceutical grade crystallized menthol— high volume industry;
Organic mint essential oil— cosmetics and aromatherapy;
Packed organic mint tea— pharmacies and grocery stores;
Mint oil for cosmetics— shampoo, cream, and toothpaste;
Aqueous mint extract— food industry;
Fresh mint for restaurants— high turnover.
Merchant profiles and their specific opportunities
✔ Pharmaceutical industry: menthol for analgesics and cosmetics
✔ Natural cosmetics: organic mint oil
✔ Pharmacies and grocery stores: organic mint tea
✔ Digital platforms: artisanal essential oils
✔ Exporters: mint oil for Europe and the USA
✔ Restaurants: fresh local mint production
Growth strategies for the local merchant
The cooperative that installs steam distillation and sells crystallized menthol to pharmacies creates the product with the highest value per ton of biomass from family agriculture — with menthol at R$ 50 to R$ 120/kg vs. R$ 2 to R$ 4/kg of fresh plant.
The PRONAF and Pronampe cover distilleries. SEBRAE subsidizes certification. APEX-Brasil supports export.
The E-Book 04 — Strategic Guide for the Small Agricultural Product Merchant maps 30 merchant profiles and details growth opportunities across all 255 segments of agriculture. Access now for BRL 99.00 →
Network of Innovation and Technology
By purchasing any e-book from the series, you become a member of our Network of Innovation and Technology. Groups with 30 members will be able to organize and fund in-person strategic planning events to identify and implement the best solutions available in Brazil and worldwide.
✔ Small Rural Producers
✔ Micro and Small Supplier Companies
✔ Municipal Governments
✔ Small Agricultural Product Merchants
⭐ Special offer: I will provide 100% discount on the value of my working hours for the 10 pioneer events organized by 11/30/26 and held in December 2026. Therefore, the 10 pioneer groups will only cover the general expenses.
Best regards,
Ivo Alves
CEO · Master in Electrical Engineering and Computing · Specialist in Innovation and Technology Project Management
Faculty: IFPB and UFRN · 38 years of experience in Engineering
Written by
Equipe Editorial
Content Team
Nossa equipe de especialistas compartilhando conhecimento.
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