EA are continuing to work with the rural community of Jacutinga, Poco Fundo, this year. Osmar and his family grow exceptional coffee at around 1200m and it is pure joy in a cup so we are roasting it a little lighter and selling it as a special individual origin.
This high altitude coffee has a sweet chocolate taste, with a little fruit and hazelnut.
Keep an eye out for news and updates from farmers and projects in this community.
Coffee trees and landscape can look beautiful in many countries but visiting for us isn’t just about photos – it’s the people, stories and relationships that matter.
We get to check farms for quality and environment; we get to see the workers and the direct trade green coffee beans but the relationships we form are increasingly becoming special friendships. The stories we are a part of have far more impact than we could have hoped for 11 years ago when we set out on this adventure.
I got back from Brazil only last week and I’m reflecting on the journey with this family – it keeps getting better and better. Not only do they produce great coffee, but their care of workers and environment is testimony to who they are as human beings. When we first bought coffee from Isaltino in 2010, his son Athos worked out the export paperwork and procedure to make it happen. That was the impetus for him to go on and establish his own export business with two others.
Not content with doing well for themselves, off the back of their own success they are helping other farmers, developing speciality coffee and increasing income for others too. With passion for speciality coffee Athos, Demilson and Herico are now looking up, literally 1000ft higher up, into the mountains at Jacutinga, where a small rural community have the potential to produce exceptional coffee if they can just be taught to invest the time in selective harvesting and better processing.
In partnership with them we are now looking at a project to invest in that community, to bring about sustainable incomes, higher standards of living and consistently fantastic coffee.
Travelling is rarely comfortable, but always an adventure, and the scenery can be stunning – check out the photos online.
I was met by Athos in Sao Paulo then we travelled north into the mountains to Machado. I spent the next few days with the family, on the farm, in the rainforest, and watching Brazil record an historic 7-1 defeat – good job they still have fantastic coffee!
Head bean Ian (centre) with Isaltino and Athos from the Gerezim Farm in Brazil
Crop
We talked about the crop this year how generally, because of drought, the harvests in Brazil will be low, but despite this, at Gerezim and Vira Mao they are expecting a very high quality Brazilian roast coffee. Cupping the early harvest it has scored extremely high into the speciality scale.
Both Isaltino and Athos also wanted to stress the importance of altitude and good farming for quality, frustrated by the lack of knowledge of other farmers and the poor quality being produced in lower parts of the Minas Gerais region – something we already know and appreciate about their coffee, right? Not every Brazilian coffee is the same!
Crop
Costs are up across the board for transport and labour. Same as in the UK. So along with lower harvests and the market moving upwards we’re expecting a price increase.
Rainforests
One of the things I was keen to see more of was the preservation of rainforests alongside the farm. About 20% of their farmland is left as wild rainforest to preserve it and the habitat it offers. The understanding of harmony between nature and farming was impressive.
Not enough space to write it all – ask more when you next order.
New Coffees
We’re exploring new origins and cupping new coffees in the next few weeks. Cameroon? Guatemala? Rwanda? Nicaragua?
This was the title of the email I received last week. Simple translation/meaning – the export of eco/organic/biodiverse coffee to England. Just had confirmation from Athos at the Gerezim Farm in Brazil that our coffee is packed and ready to ship – as many of you know this is one of our direct trade relationships and their coffee is outstanding.
