FUGLEN COFFEE CAPADOCIA ESPRESSO / BRAZIL

Brazil is known as the world's largest coffee producer, maintaining a stable balance between quality and price. When most people hear Brazilian coffee, they imagine a mild flavor reminiscent of milk chocolate or nuts. However, young producer Augusto is trying to subvert this common image.

Augusto is a fourth-generation coffee farmer and his wife, Patricia Fernanda Silvera, also comes from a family of coffee farmers. Together they have a strong desire to improve quality and are dedicated to producing specialty-grade coffee on their Cappadocia farms in the Sudeminas region of southern Minas Gerais.

Minas Gerais has fertile soil and ideal climate conditions, accounting for about 30% of Brazil's coffee production.
Coffee production costs in Brazil are high compared to market transaction prices, and producers must manage production to minimize costs. Labor costs account for a large portion of production costs, so large-scale mechanical harvesting is common on Brazilian farms.
On Augusto's farm, on the other hand, all cherries are carefully sorted and harvested by hand, rather than the typical mechanical harvest. This is three times more expensive than mechanical harvesting, but the difference in quality is huge.

Although their coffee does not have a strong fruity flavor, you can feel the high-quality fruity flavor that far exceeds the average quality of Brazilian coffee. It has a beautiful texture and a mild yet firm sweetness, like melted cane sugar.

Typical Brazilian coffee flavor (flavor) does not command a high price in today's market.
As a result, Brazilian coffee tends to trade at relatively low prices, making it difficult for producers to access finance to improve quality or invest in new measures.
This means that producers cannot invest in quality unless they gain access to more expensive coffee markets.
I appreciate the attitude of this company, despite being small in this situation, doing their best and making serious efforts to improve the quality of their coffee.

Their hard work and passion are clearly reflected in the beans, showcasing new possibilities for Brazilian coffee. Augusto and Patricia’s challenge could be a step toward unlocking the future of Brazilian coffee.