nucoffee Logo

NUCOFFEE World  12/10/2009

Actions and perspectives

Three years after operations start-up, NUCOFFEE will deliver novelties in 2010.

PICTURE (courtesy): Jon Ferguson (Cultiva Coffee), Colleen Anunu (Gimme!Coffee), Paul Haworth (Cartel Coffee Lab), Alexis Rubinstein (Tea & Coffee) and the NUCOFFEE team visiting Matas de Minas region and enjoying the fantastic hospitality of the Dutra family at Dutra Specialty Coffee Farms.

NUCOFFEE came about to create a connection between Brazilian producers and foreign roasters. Since then, the company is constantly working to strengthen its partnerships – at both ends – always striving to promote and exalt Brazil's coffee throughout the world.

NETWORKING
In 2009, through the Trip to Origin program, NUCOFFEE invited about ten roasters to visit Brazilian farms and get acquainted with the producers. The Cerrado Mineiro, Matas de Minas, Sul de Minas, and Mogiana Paulista regions were toured, where the roasters saw how coffee is processed and experienced several cuppings.

They also visited the Coffee Museum of Santos (State of São Paulo) and some specialty coffeehouses in the City of São Paulo. During the trips, several forums were opened for discussion, to allow both the producer and the roaster to share their experiences and perceptions related to the coffee market and quality.

Roasters came to Brazil and producers went to the US to visit them. In April 2009, NUCOFFEE took some coffee growers to the annual exposition of the Specialty Coffee Association of American (SCAA), to help them understand the type of quality international buyers look for today. It was also important to gauge their concept about specialty coffees, so producers were able to better understand the international market according to the roasters perspective during the forum sponsored by NUCOFFEE.

With the US market as its target, in 2009 the platform also started its logistics structure to respond to purchases of small lots sold under special conditions. NUCOFFEE will offer in the United States only unique and highly ranked coffees, and will be managed by the appointed representative for the US, Wolthers America. This structure facilitates sales of special micro lots of Brazilian small-size producers, to whom access to the international market is more difficult.

NUCOFFEE representatives were also present at the Coffee Fest Seattle in September 09, where they hosted the opening dinner; they also sponsored a Road Show to 20 roasters on the Northwest Coast of the US, introducing the Brazilian platform and its potential to supply single estate coffee quality.

QUALITY
The grower must be fully aware of the coffee he produces and always endeavor to improve its quality. With that in mind, NUCOFFEE promotes works such as spreading the SCAA methodology, quality reference, and workshops to improve the post-harvest coffee processing.

The main novelty for the next year is the start-up of the Diagnose quality program on farms that will have special technical monitoring in 10% of the platform producers who already have a special quality standard. The farms will have customized guidelines to work with large fields considered to have a higher potential. The producer will therefore be able to analyze how important it is to invest in quality by having means to compare the product within his own farm.

SERVICE
To aggregate further value to the Brazilian coffee, NUCOFFEE incorporated a roasting lab that will indicate the best roasting profiles in relation to the sold batches. This will supply more information to roasters whose profiles will have already been tested for the purchased coffee and will be able to use them as reference when testing their own profiles.

To improve the communication of the platform, NUCOFFEE redesigned its Internet portal, offering more information and interaction. It also launched the Newsletter NUCOFFEE World, published in October 09 in both Portuguese and English, to enhance communications with the overall coffee market.

EXPECTATIONS
NUCOFFEE's proposal for 2010 continues to be to further strengthen the Brazilian coffee, whether improving its quality or how it is acknowledged, by being present in national and international events and exhibits and by actively participating in associations that promote coffee.

New education programs will be carried out directly with producers to strengthen NUCOFFEE's participation and to inform about good post-harvesting practices. The goal is to further adapt to the buyers standards the specialty coffee produced. With this knowledge and the alignment of both ends, coffee growers will learn to view the product under the buyer's perspective.

For the domestic market, a stronger effort will be established with Bahia producers, as this State has been growing in the quality market. For the international market, NUCOFFEE will also be more present for baristas, who are responsible for the end product and client interaction. The goal of this approach is to promote the knowledge of the Brazilian platform and coffee by this barista.