Carmo de Paranaíba, Cerrado Mineiro, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Relationship: 6 years
The São Luiz farm is both rooted in history and embracing modernity, with over fifty years of experience in the coffee industry. The São Luiz team has forged an innovative path in the Cerrado Mineiro, a relatively new coffee-producing region in Brazil. The family story began with Manoel Velloso dos Reis, who took over his father's land and envisioned its potential for coffee cultivation. His son, Fausto do Espírito Santo Velloso, then took the reins and began investing in quality coffee. Today, Fausto is gradually handing over the reins to his children, Ana Cecilia and Lúcio Gondim.
The Cerrado Mineiro's reputation for coffee was largely built on the work done at the São Luiz farm. Pioneers in the region, they were the first to implement the "natural pulping" process 20 years ago, significantly improving the quality of their beans and thus contributing to the rise of Brazilian coffee in the specialty coffee sphere. Now certified as "Protected Designation of Origin" coffees, those from this region of the state of Minas Gerais are more easily traceable, offering greater transparency regarding origin, producers, and production methods.
Ana left a career in marketing to join the family business, bringing with her an understanding of market expectations. Lucio, an agronomist by training, remained at the helm of production. Together, they form a perfect duo of curiosity and expertise, representing an excellent example of the future of specialty coffee. Today, they manage 330 hectares of coffee plantations, producing an average of 13,000 bags of green beans per year, half of which meet specialty coffee criteria. They acknowledge that the quality of their beans is attributable to the rich terroir of Cerrado Mineiro and the hard work of their dedicated team, some of whom have been with the family for over 20 years, constantly striving to strengthen and modernize their practices.
Regional context
Brazil stands out due to its unique character, making it difficult to compare with other coffee-producing countries. As the world's leading exporter, it supplies nearly half the world's population with coffee. Its farms are vast, production volumes impressive, and the use of agro-industrial machinery is widespread.
Long considered a producer of commercial coffee rather than specialty coffee, Brazil is witnessing the emergence of a new generation of producers who are revolutionizing this perception. University graduates and often city dwellers, the sons and daughters of farmers are returning to family farms to help their baby boomer parents prepare for retirement. With an innovative vision, they are striving to demonstrate that specialty coffee production is not only viable but also in high demand in the market.
Convincing parents that this new approach isn't just a passing fad remains a challenge. After decades of success with traditional methods, it's difficult to take the specialty coffee revolution seriously. Nevertheless, successes are multiplying and gradually strengthening the case for specialty coffee, leading to a significant increase in its production.
