Agroforestry Coffee: The Café dos Contos Case, Part I

In 2017, we began a great partnership with Paulo and Mari from Café dos Contos, aiming to transform a coffee monoculture farm in southern Minas Gerais into a pioneering model of agroforestry coffee production in Brazil.

In this project we improved the quality of the existing coffee monoculture by implementing a more regenerative production system, which brought many positive results recognized with several awards.

A little about Café dos Contos

This successful project began, and the quality of the coffee harvest confirmed the potential of working in harmony with the forest, in 2012. That year, partners Mariana da Mota and Paulo de Araújo, both with urban backgrounds until then, moved to the countryside when they bought land in the municipality of Monte Sião, Minas Gerais.

At first, they weren't thinking of growing any specific crop; they simply took the first step toward their dream of a healthier rural life, where they could care for horses and gradually start projects focused on the environmental regeneration of the property.

Since the property, located in the south of Minas Gerais, already had a history of coffee growing, they continued production, changing only the management by switching to organic. After a lot of study and planning, they took on the challenge of running a crop.

Paulo is a communications professional always focused on sustainability, who works with Fazenda da Toca and Rizoma, where we met in 2017. He and Mari wanted to make an agroforestry transition on their property.

Where it all began

We started with a 1-hectare experimental area, where rows of trees were planted next to double rows of coffee, with the tree rows alternating between rows of banana and macadamia and rows of inga and Australian cedar. The coffee chosen was the Catucaí Amarelo variety, because it tolerates shade and has excellent quality, with incredible aromas and flavors.

The partnership between the coffee plantation and the forest, between PRETATERRA and Café dos Contos, and a cup of coffee with a good read are examples of how, when we bring two good things together, the result can only be good. This project is incredible and very important to us. The story of this partnership continues in the next posts, but you can read more here.

Don't forget to visit their Instagram @cafedoscontos, where they always share harvest news. You can enjoy this coffee at home by clicking here.