Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza Biofactory
We get a lot of questions about whether or not the coffee we carry is organic. The short answer for many of them is – yes!
The long answer is that although organic certifications can be useful in helping customers practice ethical consumerism (a form of voting with your dollar), there is often a disproportionate burden placed on the producers — in this case, coffee farmers. The process of becoming certified organic can be long, laborious and incredibly expensive. For some coffee producers, the resources required to become certified would be much better applied towards supporting workers, bolstering processing infrastructure, etc. The focus on certified organic products tends to overlook the importance, accessibility and benefits of non-organic sustainable farming practices for different communities.
One of the many rewarding aspects of working closely and relationally with our producing partners is that instead of requiring them to overcome the barriers of certification in order to work with us, we can just talk with them about the sustainable growing practices they already have in place and support them in their goals for the future!
This is why we’re particularly excited to announce our international partner for this round of Community Giveback: Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza (FAF). Our longstanding relationship with them has allowed us to bring you some delicious and exciting Brazilian coffees.
Formerly known as Fazenda Fortaleza, this farm has been in the Barretto Family since 1850 and still functioned as a traditional farm using conventional farm methods when Silvia Barretto and her husband Marcos Croce inherited it in 2001. A longtime steward and follower of the natural and organic lifestyle, Silvia transformed not only the farm’s name (Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza, meaning Environmental Fortress Farm), she began her dream and mission to have the farm embody a sustainable business that takes the relationships between people and their environment into consideration while producing high quality products.
Two of the most significant threats to coffee production are pests and disease. One of the most commonly known diseases is la Roya, or coffee leaf rust, which was responsible for decimating entire countries’ coffee production throughout the 1900s. The most recent epidemic was around 2012 and affected Central America, the Caribbean, Ecuador, Peru, and Mexico — the effects are devastating and the road to recovery is long and costly. For a long time fungicides have been the most effective coffee leaf rust treatment, but when la Roya develops a resistance to these sprays farmers may feel the need to use increasingly harsh chemicals. Add in consumer demand for organic practices, and coffee producers can find themselves in a lose-lose situation: risk losing their crops, or risk losing demand — and in turn, pay — for their product?
FAF recognizes how the market demand for organic or sustainable coffee puts immense pressure on farmers to implement environmentally sound practices while still maintaining desired coffee yield and quality. They also recognize how the indiscriminate use of chemicals can disrupt the region’s soil microbiology, contributing to the deterioration of agro-ecosystems.
To combat these issues, they’ve started construction of two separate Fungi and Bacteria Biofactories. These facilities will be used to isolate naturally occurring fungi and bacteria endemic to the soil of each piece of land they are farming; once isolate, they will be examined in FAF’s laboratory to see if the strains have any capabilities to help coffee plants resist pests and disease. If effective, FAF will then cultivate more of the bacteria or fungi and apply it back into the soil. FAF’s hope is to take this model and replicate it across the region with other farmers, providing ongoing support in moving towards more sustainable practices.
Funds from this round of the Community Blend Give Back will be used towards helping FAF fund the construction of their fungi and bacteria biofactories. This project will help FAF:
Create solutions for resilient and sustainable coffee production
Empower farmers to be less dependent on agrochemical products and to apply environment-friendly practices
Enhance alternative and ecological management of common coffee pests and diseases
Protect soil, water resources, biodiversity and human health
Thanks for supporting our Community Giveback projects, and we look forward to looping you in on future FAF Biofactory updates!