Coffee was introduced to the Cerrado Mineiro region in the 1970s and quickly became a significant driver of the local economy. The region’s natural resources, infrastructure, and skilled workforce facilitated the rapid expansion of coffee farms.

Over the years, the Cerrado Mineiro region has gained a reputation as a producer of high-quality coffee beans and is now recognized as one of the leading coffee-growing regions in Brazil and the world.

Specialty coffees from the Cerrado Mineiro region are known for their well-balanced flavor profiles, full-bodied texture, and bright acidity.

Each farm in the region cultivates different varieties of Arabica coffee, with popular choices being Catuaí, Mundo Novo, and Yellow Bourbon. This diverse selection of coffee beans creates a flavor palette that includes various notes such as chocolate, nuts, caramel, and fruity undertones.

It is indeed a rather insane project even to a hero-farmer Arnaud Caussee to grow such a champagne-tasting specialty coffee at an altitude of between 1800 and 2100 meters lying in a cloudy forest under the shade of indigenous cedars and banana trees.

MECOP is an association of small Kenyan producers led by David Maguta. MECOP works mainly in 3 producing regions: Nyeri, Embu and Kiambu with a dozen farmers. Each farmer has his own drying station with very high quality metal drying beds, Grain Pro bags, more precise equipment. The coffees are therefore dried on each farm and then David Maguta takes care of quality control, transport to a private processing company and all the export management to guarantee the traceability of each microlot.

Arabica coffee grows in these areas alongside citrus trees. In the early 1990s, when coffee prices plummeted, many farmers were forced to cut down their coffee trees and replace them with mandarins and oranges. By cultivating coffee and citrus fruits together on the same field, a natural shade formed over the coffee plants. This way, the coffee trees are protected from harsh direct sunlight, and the soil under the vegetation remains moist for a longer period.

This Yirgacheffe coffee is harvested and prepared by Metad. Metad works with local farmers who supply them with their best cherries. More than 2000 farmers in the vicinity of Gedeb currently sell all or part of their harvest to Metad.