Brazil | Fazenda Paraiso

Brazil dominates the South American continent, covering almost 50% of its land mass that stretches from the Amazon Basin in the north to vineyards and the massive Iguaçu Falls in the south.

The country is the largest producer of coffee in the world. With such diversity, its range of coffee that it produces is vast – from small holder farms to vast estates. Soils, regional climate and temperatures make great growing conditions. However, Brazil lacks altitude – a factor considered crucial for creating the very best flavours expected from Arabica coffee and much of the coffee is grown at or below 1000m above sea level. Brazil’s coffee flavours typically invoke nuts, caramel and creamy body. New found sweetness, citrus and acidity are emerging from these coffees with new techniques.

Fazenda Paraiso was bought by the agronomist Guy Carvalho in 1990, whose approach focused on quality. In 1996 Fazenda Paraiso participated in Project Gourmet in Brazil, this project was in partnership with OIC to improve quality and introduce the process of Pulped Natural into this farm.

The farm is located in a traditional coffee-growing district of Cabo Verde, in a region that presents ideal conditions for coffee production, such as an average altitude of 950 meters and a climate with well- defined seasons, low humidity and favourable temperatures. The farm has drying patios and produces both natural (dry-processed) and pulped natural coffee, using modern processing equipment including a washer and a pulper, and a mechanical mucilage remover that is used to produce pulped natural coffees during periods of excessive rain.