Fazenda Pedra Redonda, Brazil | ESPRESSO

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Fazenda Pedra Redonda lies between 1,050 to 1,320 metres above sea level in the green hills of Matas de Minas, a fertile, mountainous region in the south-east of Brazil’s Minas Gerais state. The area has a long history of producing coffees of excellent quality, thanks to its altitude (some 80% of farm area lies above 1,000 metres), temperate climate and fertile soils.

80% of the region’s agricultural income comes from coffee. Most of the farms throughout the region are small or medium size, and most rely entirely on family members or collaborate with “partner” farms (parceiros) to work the farm. The majority of these farms do not use pesticides.


José Bernardes Santana has been growing coffee in the region for more than 30 years. He runs Fazenda Pedra Redonda with the help of his two brothers, Donizete and Geraldo. Donizete oversees the coffee plantations, where a minimum of pesticides are used in order to protect the local ecosystem. The farm employs 30 permanent workers and all work is carried out by hand as the mountainous terrain makes the use of machines impossible.