Brazil

Bahia is a Brazilian state located in the north-east of the country on the Atlantic coast and has long been a point of convergence between European, African and Indian cultures, where coffee cultivation was not developed until the 1970s. It is the northernmost appellation in Brazil and is considered one of the most technologically advanced regions in terms of production, harvesting and preparation. Mechanisation is the order of the day, with irrigation allowing the cherries to ripen evenly. The Catuai variety is representative of this region, and three quarters of production is Arabica. Bahia benefits from high altitudes for Brazil and a warm climate, producing coffees with a full body and medium acidity.  

Production takes place in a mountainous region, approximately 1400 meters above sea level. Due to the artisanal process, the altitude and the soil of the farm, they obtain a differentiated product and, with this, the coffees are classified every year among the best coffees in Brazil and in the world, both in quality and in sustainability.

The Serra do Caracol area is located in the Sul de Minas region. The region is, as its name suggests, the southern area of the greater Minas Gerais region. Known as one of the largest coffee producing regions in Brazil, the Sul de Minas region is a traditional production area for Arabica coffee (introduced in the 1850s), accounting for about 30% of national production. A hilly region with a mild climate and average altitudes of 850 masl, this region has some of the largest coffee-producing estates in Brazil. The main varieties grown here are yellow Catuaí and Mundo Novo.

A young coffee-producing region, Cerrado began production in the early 1960s and is today internationally recognized for its quality. Located in the state of Minas Gerais, in western Brazil, the Cerrado has however suffered from the increasingly important usurpation of its name and reputation by neighboring regions. A few years ago, 10 million bags left the country with the name "Cerrado", while the real production capacity of the region was 5 million bags.
In 2013, the producers obtained the Denomination of Origin (DO) "Cerrado Minerio". A sign of quality which certifies the authenticity of the coffee, proving that the latter does indeed come from the region and has qualities specific to its terroir of origin. Thus, consumers and roasters are guaranteed to taste an Arabica coffee (a blend of varieties with mainly Mundo Novo and Catuaí) produced in the region delimited by the certification, at an altitude between 800m and 1300m and that it has obtained at least 80 points following the SCAA punctuation during tasting.

Today, the DO brings together 4,500 producers spread over 17,000 hectares and is supported by 9 cooperatives, 7 associations and 1 foundation. An independent body certifies the quality of the coffees, in order to define whether they can be certified "Cerrado Mineiro" or not.

Although the state of Espirito Santo is one of the smallest in Brazil, it is known for its mosaic of landscapes, from rugged mountains to Atlantic coastal regions. Known for its historic robusta production, Espirito Santo is a new player in specialty coffee production. A small appellation for Brazil, Espirito Santo is made up of small estates of 5 to 20 hectares located on steep mountains. Very mountainous terroir, the harvests are 100% manual with a high percentage of selective collection. Rich in native forests with a remarkable biodiversity, the region wishes to preserve the quality of its territory and its remarkable landscapes punctuated by the Atlantic coast and steep mountains. Thus, Espirito Santo has made it compulsory for all producers, large and small, to preserve at least 20% of each property in forest.

The state of Sao Paulo is home to one of Brazil's best-known coffee-growing regions: Mogiana. It was in this state that the first coffee fazenda was founded in 1817 in the Paraíba valley. The state of Sao Paulo is also home to the port of Santos, Brazil's main export port.

The Mogiana region is named after a railway company, Companhia Mogiana de Estradas de Ferro, which created the "coffee railway" in 1883. This improved transport and, above all, increased coffee production in the region.

Mogiana has altitudes of between 800 and 1100 m, constant temperatures of around 20°C throughout the year and hilly terrain that is ideal for coffee production, for a well-balanced, sweet cup.

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.
On returning from the United States to take over the reins of the family farm, run initially as an intensive monoculture, the couple made the courageous choice 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.

The Sul de Minas region is, as its name suggests, the southern area of the greater Minas Gerais region. Known as one of the largest coffee producing regions in Brazil, the Sul de Minas region is a traditional production area for Arabica coffee (introduced in the 1850s), accounting for about 30% of national production. A hilly region with a mild climate and average altitudes of 850 masl, this region has some of the largest coffee-producing estates in Brazil. The main varieties grown here are yellow Catuaí and Mundo Novo.