We've been prioritizing partnerships with small and medium-sized producers in lesser-known regions, aiming to expand their production capacity over time. Our focus has shifted towards procuring higher-scoring, sweet, and fruit-forward naturals, now available in larger volumes. From smaller farmers, we acquire various microlots, single varieties, as well as special preps and fermented naturals.

In Brazil, mechanical picking is common, so quality-oriented farmers focus a lot on post-harvest quality control. Sophisticated machinery is used to sort cherries based on ripeness levels after picking. While this method can yield good results efficiently, selective picking (which involves harvesting only uniformly ripe cherries), produces the highest quality cup profiles. We collaborate closely with producers and commit to specific volumes for selective picking, providing them with the financial certainty to focus on quality. Our goal is to fully explore the potential of Brazilian coffee with adequate recognition and support for necessary labour costs.

Several producers we work with have begun adopting selective picking for certain lots, recognizing the potential for enhanced coffee quality. While this approach may not be feasible every season, it signifies progress towards unlocking Brazil's full quality potential.

In Brazil, the coffee market is largely dominated by expansive commercial farms, leading to generally lower prices per kilo, often tied to the C-Price index. This dynamic can leave producers vulnerable and strain buyer-seller relationships, prompting producers to seek out opportunities to maximize their income. Typically, cherry growers will offer their coffee to multiple exporters, sell for quick cash, or opt for the highest bidder.

However, the advantage of Brazil's substantial coffee volumes lies in economies of scale, resulting in lower production costs. Our goal is to provide stable prices, catering not only to small batches of unique profiles but also to larger quantities of standard coffees.

Maintaining the quality of our coffee is paramount, alongside consistent pricing across our range. We aim to offer products at various price points to meet diverse customer needs. Each year, we evaluate market dynamics and client demands to determine our purchasing volume. Unlike typical commercial practices, we prioritize price stability over volume expansion, ensuring fair pricing with our partners.

Furthermore, we stress the importance of open communication and information sharing with our producers and suppliers. By providing transparent, unfiltered data, we empower them to enhance their practices and coffee quality continually. This commitment to transparency underpins our approach to collaboration in Brazil and beyond.

Our efforts in establishing more efficient and regular communication with individual suppliers has definitely paid off. The special preps we source have started to feel less risky, both for us and the producers. The procedures necessary to produce such coffees have become much more stable. For example, some producers have shifted from manual picking to manual sorting, enabling a more defined cherry selection process.

This is particularly noticeable amongst the young generation of coffee growers in Brazil, eager to experiment with fermentation. Their dedication to quality is driven by the need to compete with large industrial farms dominating the industry.