Brazil natural Arabica Santos, NY 2, Scr 17/18, ss, fc, Fairtrade (FLO)

Coffee production in Brazil represents about one-third of the entire coffee production, making it by far the biggest producer worldwide for the last 150 years. In central Brazil, the extensive Cerrado savannah is interrupted by seemingly endless plateaus called Chapadas. They cover the states Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, and Minas Gerais, turning them into one of the largest coffee production areas in the world. Around Minas Gerais, farmers have started to concentrate on cultivating mainly specialty coffees. Well-defined seasons with hot, wet summers and pleasantly cool, dry winters favor coffee cultivation in this region.

The naming of „Santos“ is making reference to the port of Santos, from where coffees coming from different regions of the country are traditionally shipped. Coffees from Brazil are uniquely described in detail: NY 2 stands for “New York 2” and refers to the maximum number of allowed defects according to the defect count method of the New York stock exchange and is the highest grade. Screen 17/18 defines the bean size as being the bigger among the Brazilian grades. SS stands for “strictly soft” and FC for “fine cup” describing the cup profile - requiring a smooth, consistent and clean cup.

The most common processing method in Brazil, used for about 90% of the Arabicas produced, is the dry process, also known as unwashed or natural. The entire coffee cherry is first cleaned and then placed in the sun to dry in thin layers on the patios or dried by drying machines. Coffee plantations in Brazil often cover extensive areas of land, need hundreds of people to manage and operate them and produce vast quantities of coffee.