Brazil - Santa Clara

Born and raised in the interior of Minas Gerais, Paulo Afonso de Resende fosters
fond memories of his childhood. At a very young age he witnessed the beauty of
coffee production, observing his father's dedication to work in the fields in order to
provide the family with a dignified life. The example of hard work from his father
motivated him to pursue his dreams that eventually led him to the capital city of the
State, where Paulo Afonso studied to become an engineer.
After a long and successful journey as an engineer in Belo Horizonte, Paulo Afonso
decided to fulfill another personal desire and reconnect with his family's history
and his origins in the countryside. Thus, in 1993, he purchased Fazenda Santa Clara,
located in Oliveira, Minas Gerais, where he started a new chapter as a coffee
grower.

He started planting his first plots, but without much prior knowledge in agriculture,
the support of experts, agronomists and his coworkers at the farm were essential
for his development in this new business. Thanks to his persistence and this
valuable assistance, Paulo Afonso could organize a long term plan for the farm over
the years and nowadays Fazenda Santa Clara is recognized in the region by the
quality of the coffees produced.

The background as an engineer gives Paulo Afonso an eye for detail as the
organization of processes and operations. More recently, Paulo Afonso has been
investing in the infrastructure of the farm, making improvements and innovating in
harvest and post-harvest. He is also very concerned about improving working and
life conditions for all employees at the farm. Having come a long way, Paulo Afonso
now fosters another dream that his children will continue the history of the farm
and his family and generate even more prosperity for all those involved in the
future.

About Brazil

The largest coffee producer and exporter in the world also stands out for its quality. The large extensions of Brazil allow for diversified growing areas with complex drink characteristics.

Most of Brazilian coffees tend to be low in acidity, heavy in body and sweet, often with chocolate and nutty flavours. However, there’s such diversity when it comes to terroirs and micro-climates that we are starting to see more often than before high quality coffees that challenge this standard.