The Mococa terroir was the breeding ground for the Bob-o-Link project, since it was here, at the heart of their farm, that Marcos Croce and Silvia Barretto got the ambitious Bob-O-Link project off the ground.
After returning from the United States to take over the family farm, which was initially run as an intensive monoculture, the couple made the bold decision to start from scratch, symbolically renaming the farm "Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza". With the aim of obtaining much more than just a specialty coffee, Sylvia and Marcos put all their energy into learning about coffee farming and into bringing their neighbours together around their project to obtain a "global quality" for all. They wanted to produce an economically, ecologically and socially sustainable coffee. A very difficult challenge indeed in a great coffee-producing country like Brazil, but one they are currently meeting.
What was originally a farm project has now become a way of life for the 50 neighbouring coffee farmers involved in the production of Bob-o-Link coffee. Using the FAF as a model, these farms follow and adopt a quality charter aimed at achieving sustainable production through environmentally-friendly practices while ensuring farm profitability and providing excellent quality coffee. All member farms undertake to not use any chemicals, to plant shade trees for their coffee bushes and for the farm, to create irrigation canals to preserve water, to install African beds and sorting machines at their farms, to harvest selectively by hand and to learn coffee cupping techniques to play an active role in improving quality. Partner farms must also be engaged in alternative forms of agricultural production to avoid being dependent on a single crop (honey, milk, fruit and vegetables, etc.). The quality of water, soil, biodiversity, workers' health and education are monitored, as well as the economic health of each farm, the transparency of their operations and the quality of their coffee.
We place a strong focus at Belco on the commitment of our producers, which is why we have supported this ambitious and courageous Bob-o-Link project for many years. It proves that it is possible to promote a different and sustainable coffee growing model while ensuring consistent and optimum quality, even in one of the largest coffee-producing countries in the world.
