JOHAN & NYSTRÖM PRESENT
FAF COFFEE'S BRAZIL
FAF Coffees is run by the Croce family, Marcos, Silvia and their son Filipe. 2001 when the family was living in Illinois, US, Silvia inherited the family coffee farm ‘Fazenda Fortaleza’ in Mocooa, Brazil.
They decided that they would create a project that would impact their lives, a project with a purpose and decided to make this farm a model of a sustainable farm. They decided early to transform the farm to something that was long-term sustainable for people and the environment. They banned all types of environmentally hazardous substance and changed the name to Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza, in English meaning ‘Environmental Fortress Farm’.
When talking about their farm Marcos Croce said;
“So, what we have is a 100-year plan. Everybody is going to be in this party, one hundred years from now and you guys are invited. Everything we think of is for the party one hundred years from now; when we plant the tree, when we protect the water, when we put any building on the farm. Whatever we do we are thinking one hundred years.”
Growing coffee sustainably also means creating ‘green corridors’ for wildlife and preserving all water sources in the area. They also grow more type of plants including banana, avocado, mango, and passion fruit. Together with the already rich surrounding forest, this creates a natural cycle and rich fauna, both for the sake of the animals, but also to create an ecosystem that in a natural way minimizes the need to protect the coffee trees.
The family realized that even if they did everything in their power to improve the environment around them, it had very little effect if their neighbours were to carry on as usual. Therefore, they decided to try to expand their philosophy to all the produces in the area. The bird Bob-o-link, whose subsistence and migration patterns were threatened by deforestation and one-sided cultivation, became a symbol for that something needed to be done.
The result is ‘Bob-o-link Coffees’ – a network of producers who all have the ambition to produce high quality coffee in harmony with nature. As Marcos Croce said;
‘The Bob-o-link project is a group of farmers that care, care for today and care for tomorrow.’
These farms in the mountainous region are located at altitudes ranging from 900 to 1400 m.a.s.l., and cultivate varieties such as Bourbon, Mundo Novo and Catuai. Most farms are small, run by a single family, and located on top of the mountains - the perfect environment for growing coffee.
Today, FAF Coffees is not only a sustainable coffee farm but also a network of farmers, a centre for coffee studies and an export company that transports coffee all over the world.
We purchased our first coffee from FAF coffees in 2010 and our ‘Brazil Fortaleza’ har been a beloved favourite in our assortment since 2013. We buy about 38 tonnes of coffee yearly. That fills up 2 whole containers, and to put it into perspective is is 640 bags of green coffee. We buy many different lots and use them not only for our single origin coffees but also as a part of some of our filter and espresso blends.
The relationship we have with Marcos, Felipe and Silvia is exactly in line with our purchasing philosophy and it is no coincidence that we place Direct Trade-mark on the label of all of the FAF coffees.
Bob-o-link
This single origin espresso has flavors of chocolate, caramel and sweet plums. The coffee comes from a long-term partnership with the farmers of the Bob-o-link project in Brazil.
We invest SEK 5 per kilo we sell in the project 'For a healthy soil' together with FAF Coffees.
The initiators of Bob-o-link are the Croce family, who since 2001 run the farm Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza. They have since transformed the old family farm into a model farm when it comes to sustainable farming methods. FAF Coffees today includes a network of farmers, a center for coffee studies and an export company that ships coffee all over the world.
The family realized that although they did everything in their power to improve the environment around them, it had very little effect if their neighbors continued as before. Therefore, it was decided to try to extend their philosophy to the producers in the area. The bird Bob-o-link, whose livelihood and migration patterns were threatened by deforestation, monocultures of soybeans and corn, became a symbol that something had to be done.
The result is "Bob-o-link Coffees", a network of producers who all have the ambition to produce high-quality coffee in harmony with nature. These farms are located in the mountainous Mogiana region (states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais), at altitudes varying from 900 to 1400 meters above sea level, and grow varieties such as Bourbon, Mundo Novo and Catuai. Most of the farms are small and family run and are located on top of the mountains, the perfect environment for growing coffee! The berries are then selectively picked by hand and dried on terraces next to their homes.
Growing coffee sustainably means, among other things, excluding all types of environmentally hazardous substances, creating "green corridors" for wildlife and conserving all water sources in the area. They also grow more types of plants including banana, avocado, mango and passion fruit to, together with the already rich surrounding forest, get a natural cycle and a rich fauna. Both for the sake of the animals, but also to create an ecosystem that naturally minimizes the need to protect the coffee trees.
FAF helps producers with training in harvesting techniques, pruning and drying, but also financial assistance if needed. The network grows larger every year, as more producers see the benefits that come with the work. Both for nature, and also because they get paid better for their coffee, which also creates sustainability for the families.
The coffee comes directly to us at the roastery in Länna without intermediaries and is then carefully roasted. The experienced coffee drinker will find notes of chocolate, butterscotch and sweet plums. Everyone else will enjoy a richly sweet and tasty cup of espresso both with and without milk.
We at J&N have bought coffee from the Croce family since 2010 and the relationship we have with Marcos, Filipe and Silvia is exactly in line with our purchasing philosophy. It is therefore no coincidence that we choose to launch this limited espresso with a Direct Trade stamp on the front. Read more about Direct Trade here.
COFFEE INFO
Origin: Brazil
Region: Sao Paulo
Procucent: FAF Coffees
Farm: Bob-o-link producers in Serra do Cigano
Altitude: 1100-1300 m.a.s.l.
Variety: Red Catuai, Mundo Novo, Bourbon
Process: Natural
Flavors: Chocolate, caramel, sweet plums
Brewing method: We have roasted it as an espresso, but many people think it tastes amazing as a brew too! Try it yourself!
Contents: 100% coffee
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