Fazenda Progresso Natural, Brazil, Filter

Origin Mucugê, Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil Notes Dried apples, cashew butter and cocoa Processing Natural Varietal Catuaí, Topazio Altitude 1150 masl Farm Fazenda Progresso Producer Borré family
Roasted for Filter

Fazenda Progresso is a beautiful farm nestled in the Chapada Diamantina mountain range, in the heart of Bahia. The farm is located near the town of Mucugê, and sits on a plateau at 1,150m above sea level surrounded by the Chapada Diamantina National Park, which is known for its mountainous cliff formations (Chapada) and 19th-century diamond mining (Diamantina). This high elevation plays a key role in the quality of the coffees produced here, as does the region’s climate. Hot days and cool nights, with an average temperature variation of just 10°C, create the ideal conditions for slow coffee cherry maturation and the gradual development of natural sugars in the fruit, resulting in a sweet and complex cup.

Fazenda Progresso is owned by the Borré family who have been in business for three generations. The history of the farm dates back to 1984 when the Borré family migrated from Southern Brazil to the northeast and purchased some land in the municipality of Ibicoara, near the town of Mucugê. In the early years, the family tried growing crops such as soybeans, wheat and English potatoes. The potatoes turned out to be an incredibly successful crop, stimulating investments and making the family one of the largest producers of potatoes in Bahia.

In 2005, the Borré family sought to diversify the activities on their land and quickly recognised that the high elevations, plentiful rainfall, and rich soil found on their property were ideal for the production of specialty coffee. The family’s youngest son, Fabiano Borré, spearheaded the coffee program, investing in state-of-the-art infrastructure and agricultural practices to ensure they could produce the very highest quality coffee possible. Fabiano has surrounded himself with an exceptional team and sought advice from some of the most respected professionals in the field, including Silvio Leite, founder of the Cup of Excellence and president of the Brazil Specialty Association, who has over 30 years of experience in coffee grading, tasting and quality control.

Today, some 530 hectares of the property are dedicated to coffee. This land is divided up into different plots and processed separately, using Fazenda Progresso’s meticulously designed infrastructure. Over the last decade, Fabiano has continued to experiment and invest in equipment and processes that will improve the quality of his coffee. He has implemented a robust quality control program and dedicated quality control lab with a talented cupping team headed up by Ednaldo Nascimento who has worked with Progresso since 2010. This focus on quality was rewarded the first time Progresso entered coffee into the Cup of Excellence competition in 2015 and placed 15th – a fantastic achievement and testament to the hard work, resources, and focus that has been put into producing exceptional coffee. They also went on to place 20th in the 2017 Cup of Excellence.

The Borré’s motto is ‘Mindful Coffee’. This describes their commitment to acting mindfully and ensuring that their family values and vision (that centre around excellence, innovation, and environmental and social responsibility) are informing every decision they make and defining how they do business.

Fazenda Progresso’s people and their welfare are enormously important to the Borré family, and they take great care to create an excellent work environment for their staff. Buses are provided to and from work, and clean and welcoming lunch facilities and bathrooms are also provided. The staff also receive insurance, protective wear, sunscreen and biannual health check-ups by a resident doctor. Additionally, the family offers financial support to a local school that is located in the village next to the farm, are making strides to build tourism in Mucugê, and working closely with the state government to get the region recognised for its agricultural excellence.

Caring for the environment is a core value for the Borré family, who take great care to protect and preserve the ecological health of their area. Water is sourced from a nearby lake and is carefully conserved, with meteorological stations positioned throughout the farm to monitor the nutritional needs of each plot and ensure that only the correct amount of water and nutritional inputs are dispensed to them through a pivot irrigation system — thereby optimising irrigation and minimising waste. Coffee pulp from processing is composted (along with potato wastage, which is very high in potassium and great for coffee trees) and used to fertilise trees throughout the plantation. In recent years, the Borrés have begun harvesting beneficial bac