A fantastic coffee, with a rich, smooth aftertaste that lasts and lasts. Grown on smallholder farms around Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza. That’s ‘Environmental Fortress Farm’ in Portuguese – where farmers produce beautiful coffees, in a sustainable way.
Located in the region of Mococa near the southern border of Sul de Minas, Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza is the farm of the Croce family which they manage to organic conditions. The farm had been producing coffee since 1850 and owned and managed by the Baretto family since the early 1900s. Since 2002, Silvia Baretto and her husband Marcos Croce have transformed the farm into a model of sustainable organic agriculture.
Silvia’s passion for organic farming is inspiring and we admire this spirit in a country like Brazil where in many cases coffee is produced in large agri-business using chemicals to manage the land, and machines to stip-pick the cherries. In this context it is not easy to demonstrate that organic agriculture in Brazil can be competitive and profitable. Producing in harmony with nature is not the only vision because the Croce family are highly motivated to producing high-quality specialty coffee.
The Croce family share their knowledge and experience with their neighbouring farms, creating a network of producers who are partners in this impressive venture in growing exquisite coffees through sustainable agriculture.