North Star - Brazil
Brought to you by Dog and Hat!
Origin
Marcelo Renato Brito's 7 Waterfalls farm near Três Pontas in the Minas Gerais region of Brazil
Variety
Various
Processing
Natural
Altitude
900 masl
Roast Profile
Omni-Roast
Tasting Notes
Notes of Milk Chocolate, Caramel and Hazelnut
Coffee Facts
Fazenda 7 Cachoeiras is basically a Snickers bar in a cup. Super creamy and chocolatey with caramel and toasted nut notes. Its natural sweetness, mellow acidity, and full body make this the perfect coffee for those who love a healthy splash of milk in their brew.
We are excited to announce that this year’s Brazilian offering will be coming to us from Marcelo Brito’s family farm in Sul De Minas. Fazenda 7 Cachoeiras (meaning 7 waterfalls) is, funnily enough, named after the 7 waterfalls found in the surrounding area that borders the expansive 800ha farm. Marcelo saw great potential in the coffee industry and seized the chance to purchase 7 Cachoeiras back in 2000, seeing it as an amazing business opportunity for himself and his son Andre. Under the Brito’s management this amazing fazenda has truly become a model of sustainable management and production over the past 22 years.
After learning more about Marcelo and his mission it is clear that the values and principles we hold dear are shared with those that have gone on to shape Fazenda 7 Cachoeiras. A mission that is underpinned by a desire to produce high quality specialty coffees, whilst respecting and conserving the environment and providing better working conditions for the employee’s responsible for it’s production.
Quality focused, modern farming practices have been introduced over the years and mechanisation for picking allows for consistent supply and efficient production. The farm is also carbon neutral, through carbon insetting, which is the process of offsetting it’s emissions on-site. An achievement reached through a combination of solar panels, using parchment to fire the dryers and going above the legal requirement of leaving 20% of land as wild ‘reserve’.
In addition, 7 Cachoeiras is both UTZ and Rainforest Alliance certified, though Marcelo and his family are fairly unique in that their own practices and standards have always gone way beyond what is required for certification. And as well as their commitment to the environment, there is a clear focus on social empowerment within the workforce on the estate. Employees have access to education and health care services, are paid more than double the minimum wage for their work and are even eligible to a bonus each month that can reach as high as 30-40% of this wage. The criteria of this bonus is based on positive impact at both work and in the home, ensuring an improvement to the lives of not just the staff, but their families too.
