Brazil Yellow Bourbon Specialty Coffee from the Fazenda Rainha
The Fazenda Rainha has an area of 280 hectares occupied by coffee of which 200 hectares are of the yellow Bourbon variety. The geographical conditions and the excellent climate make this place a unique place for the production of specialty coffees. All workers reside on the farm itself, which eliminates temporary hiring, and are duly assisted by unlimited health plans and hospital care. Recently, a second unit of the Pedro Roza Computer School and a chapel designed by Oscar Niemayer were built for the workers. Fazenda Rainha's environmental policy is based on the reconciliation of production and environmental conservation: Coffee is harvested only when it reaches maximum maturity. The beans are picked by hand on a canvas to avoid any contact with the ground. After harvesting, the coffee cherry is pulped and spread out over yards to be dried slowly and in full sunlight until it reaches a moisture content of 11%. After drying, the coffee is packed in wooden granaries. Quality concerns: José Renato G. Dias, an agricultural engineer specialized in coffee production, is the general manager of Fazenda Rainha, a property certified by BSCA and by the UTZ certified socio-environmental management system, finalist in the Cup of Excellence competition in the 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010 editions, being crowned winner in the 2011 edition.
