BRAZIL - FAZENDA VILA BOA

Farm: Fazenda Vila Boa

Varietal: Catuai

Processing: Natural 

Altitude: 1150 metres above sea level

Owner: Monica Borges de Sousa 

Town: Carmo da Mata

Region: Campos da Vertentes/ Sul de Minas 

Originally a psychologist, Monica Borges de Sousa, owner of Fazenda Vila Boa, decided to leave her profession behind to become a coffee producer. Now certified carbon neutral, Monica continues to push Fazenda Vila Boa forward, revolutionising production techniques for the future of coffee. 

Founded in 1988, Fazenda Vila Boa began after Monica inherited 90 hectares of farmland from her father. Monica decided to name her state Vila Boa, or 'pleasant town', as the mission was to form an assortment of good, like-minded people. Monica and her husband, who at the time was still an engineer, began by planting the first 7 hectare terroir with coffee; known today as Campos das Vertentes. Since that time, Monica and her husband have developed a deep passion for speciality coffee, producing amazing lots, scoring as high as 89 points. Today, Fazenda Vila Boa encompasses over 1,000 hectares and produces both coffee and cattle for dairy production; what's better than a flat white where you create both the coffee and milk?

Processing typically begins with the coffee cherry being selectively handpicked, when the fruit is at its most ripe. Handpicking is conducted by seasonal staff, as the estates workforce increases from 30 to 80 people during high season.

Fazenda Vila Boa uses a number of different processing methods, producing natural, honey and fully washed coffees, rare for the region. As well as this, the team at Fazenda Vila Boa also experiment with other fermentation processes, such as natural fermentation. 

This process begins with the cherries being delivered to the mill, being sorted and fermented in a volcanic system or in the yard, with a thickness of 10-15 cm and a stable temperature of 22°C, over a period of 12-24 hours. After fermentation, the coffee is exposed to the open sun to dry for 10-15 days. 

To help tackle the increasing threats from climate change, Fazenda Vila Boa has recently taken steps to become certified as carbon neutral, something Monica credits her children by. This means that the estate is not only reducing their carbon footprint, but also can offset the carbon that they do produce, thanks to their coffee terroirs and forests. For conservation, 30% of the farm remains under protection, with the team also planning to increase this number by planting more than 1,000 trees. 

As well as their efforts in sustainability, Fazenda Vila Boa also looks to create a positive impact on the local community, sponsoring the NGO ICAFE. ICAFE helps to diversify economic, social and cultural activities in the region. Women are taught to make and sell food, and along with children of the nearby communities, encouraged to further educational and cultural activities.