One of a Kind

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Cerrado Mineiro is the first coffee-producing region in Brazil to be legally protected as a designation of origin.

By Kelly Stein

France’s legal protection for wine from the Champagne appellation dates to 1891. Spanish jámon (dry-cured ham) conforms to very specific rules recognized by the European Union as a protected designation of origin. Why shouldn’t similar protections recognize the unique terroir and processing techniques used in making fine Brazilian coffee? That was the question producers in Cerrado Mineiro had in mind in becoming Brazil’s first designation of origin (DO).

Cerrado Mineiro is a very young region with only 40 years of commercial coffee production but growers there are pioneers of technology, science, and modern agricultural techniques. Coffee Producers Federation of Cerrado (Federação dos Cafeicultores do Cerrado) superintendent Juliano Tarabal said: “The designation of origin officially published in 2014 was definitely a milestone, especially because we are the first in the coffee segment to celebrate it.” Demarcating the territory that produces a product with unique characteristics that cannot be found in other regions adds value. “We go beyond that. I can tell that we produce coffee with attitude, which is ethical, traceable, and with high quality,” he said.

The flat terrain, well-defined seasons, and regular maturation facilitate a mechanical harvest that yields an average 5 million 60-kilo bags per year. Located in Minas Gerais, in southeastern Brazil, most of the coffee is natural processed. Cerrado coffee displays intense aromas with notes of caramel or nut and citrus-like acidity. It is described as full-bodied with a very pleasant aftertaste.

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Techniques mastered there beginning in the 1970s helped build a strong and united community. Growers organized themselves in associations and cooperatives and continue to enjoy a close relationship. “When my grandfather arrived in this area in the late 1960s the main challenge was the poor soil,” says Ana Cecília Velloso with São Luiz State Coffee. “Applying new technologies and searching for modern alternatives were important for the family’s business growth.”

The original family farm is now six properties with 337 hectares of coffee. “Science and technology are still our business strategy for quality and productivity,” explains Velloso. She said the company has two experimental fields with new varietals including Topazio MG 1190, Catiguá EPAMIG 1194, and MGS Araponga 2.

Innovations in the experimental gardens led to better soil nutrition and improved irrigation systems. The farm is developing specific varietals resistant to disease and pests. Coffee scientists and agronomic engineers play an important role in making this region a success. “Let’s just say that this origin was designed by science and technology,” says Tarabal.

Traceability is essential to assure quality. Details like coffee variety, farm, harvest date, and processing methods; microclimate and altitude reassure consumers. “The federation developed Cerrado’s designation to meet market demand for authenticity. People can learn more about the producers and their initiatives. This tool shortens the long way from farm to cup,” explains Tarabal.

 The federation developed a QR code for registered coffee that offers one-click access for consumers to verify variety, processing method, size, and sensorial profile. Producers use this method of verification to market their product and promote brand.

Birth of a Brazilian origin

Observing lines of big harvest machinery moving across a sea of plants under Cerrado Mineiro’s intense blue sky, with its endless flat horizon, reinforces the feeling of immensity. Huge irrigation structures were not yet invented in 1970. A severe dry season and poor soil limited production to 35 bags per hectare. “With hard work and the correct technical strategy, we became the reference in coffee production. This determination and willpower inspired the Federation’s slogan: ‘coffee with attitude,’” says Tarabal.

The year of 1975 was traumatic for coffee producers in Paraná state. A black frost hit the region in July and decimated coffee properties. Years of investment vanished in hours. In São Paulo state, the problem was nematodes. The plague hits systematically destroying the roots of coffee plants. Nematodes spread quickly to different regions and caused enormous damage.

Aware that coffee production in the affected areas was impossible, “the producers started looking for other origins to invest their knowledge and experience,” according to a federation report. As production declined, the Brazilian government decided to intervene and created the Center Pole Project (or the Polo Centro). 

Managed by the former agriculture minister, Alisson Paulinelli, the goal was to encourage farming in the Cerrado Madeiro region (with incentives for any kind of agricultural activities). The government offered affordable land and technical and scientific support to develop and build productivity.

“At that time, one of the biggest challenges was the soil. It was very acid and ground liming techniques were necessary to correct the lack of other elements for the plant nutrition,” explains Tarabal.

Flat topography, high altitude, well defined climatic seasons, ample supplies of water and technology to irrigate combined with government incentives were really important in meeting the goals at that time. In the end, the two big coffee crises brought together farmers from different parts of São Paulo and Paraná and a new coffee origin was born: the Cerrado Mineiro.