The best specialty coffee from the 2021 harvest from the Regional Coffee Growers Cooperative in Guaxupé comes from the city of Caldas, Minas Gerais. Cooperative member Edivair José de Carvalho e Outro, from Núcleo de Campestre, is the champion among 50 finalists in the Especialíssimo Program, winning the maximum prize of R$50.
"It's a great emotion, we work with a lot of dedication and we have the support of SMC and Cooxupé. Two other brothers of mine are among the 10 finalists, it's a job that involves the union of my entire family", he says.
The special coffee by Edir José de Carvalho, also from Caldas (Núcleo de Campestre) and brother of champion Edivair, is runner-up for the second year in a row, with a prize of R$30.
"First I thank God. Then comes our dedication to trying to produce specialty coffees. We started producing this type of coffee three years ago and our whole family believes that dedication is one of the secrets", says Edir.
The cooperative member Renato Pita Maciel de Moura and Others, from Baependi (Advanced Unit of Lambari), won third place, being awarded R$ 20 thousand.
"I'm very excited, it's the culmination of the work of all 50 finalists in the Program. My heart is bursting with joy", he declares.
The award ceremony for the Especialíssimo Program took place on the night of November 13th in Guaxupé (MG), with the presence of the 50 cooperative members selected as finalists for the 2021 edition. This year's total award is a record: R$330.
For fourth place, the prize was R$ 13 thousand; fifth place R$ 12 thousand; sixth place R$ 11 thousand; seventh place R$ 10 thousand; eighth place R$9 thousand; ninth place R$8 thousand; and tenth place R$7 thousand. The producers who placed between 11th and 50th won R$4 each.
"Specialissimo was created by Cooxupé and SMC Specialty Coffees since 2016, but from 2019 we started rewarding the 50 best lots to encourage associated producing families to produce quality coffee. We know that making a special coffee requires a lot of care and, therefore, Through the Program, we seek to recognize the work and dedication of these 50 members, as Especialíssimo is not a contest, but rather a rigorous selection process", explains vice-president Osvaldo Bachião Filho.
This year, the Especialíssimo Program received 59,9 bags of specialty coffees via Cooxupé and SMC Specialty Coffees, an increase of 20% compared to the 49,9 bags received in the previous year. There were 1.203 lots of coffees in this edition compared to 771 registered in 2020. The participation of cooperative members was 63% higher, with 703 in 2021 and 431 in the last edition.
When considering the total results of the Program - including coffees that are not included in the award ranking - Especialíssimo received more than 2021 thousand bags of specialty coffees and more than 74 thousand lots in 1,5. These coffees were delivered to Cooxupé and SMC.
"Each year we register greater participation from associated families, demonstrating how cooperative members are increasingly linked to opportunities that add value to their activities. We are very pleased to offer our producers the possibility of being present in the specialty coffee market, which brings greater evolution and profitability", says the president of Cooxupé, Carlos Augusto Rodrigues de Melo.
The coffees selected by Especialíssimo will also be part of special coffee blends produced by Torrefação Cooxupé, including the Safra Especial produced every end of the year with a limited edition.
The 50 batches of coffees selected by Especialíssimo presented a quality index above 83 points, evaluated by a team of tasters from Cooxupé and SMC Specialty Coffees, led by the professor at the Federal University of Lavras, Flávio Borém.
Through blind tastings, the judges analyzed coffee attributes such as acidity, sweetness, body, balance and aftertaste and aromas such as fruity, enzymatic, caramel and floral.
"We have incredible coffees this year and what catches my attention is how Especialíssimo has gained maturity, the quantity of samples with high quality standards and the excellence of the best coffees that were in the best positions. This Program could be a divider between the past and future of coffee farming, as several producers are entering the world of specialty coffee", considers professor Flávio Borém.
Other criteria are also considered, such as updating the CAR - Rural Environmental Registry with the competent bodies and Cooxupé; minimum loyalty of 80% in the cooperative in the current year; have good practices in production and harvesting, with at least a 75% result obtained in the Cooperative Sustainability Diagnosis questionnaire, among others.
Check out the top 10 placed in the 2021 edition of the Especialíssimo Program:
• Edivair José de Carvalho and Another, Sítio Maranhão, Caldas.
• Edir José de Carvalho, Sítio Portella, Caldas.
• Renato Pita Maciel de Moura and others, Fazenda Trapiá, Baependi.
• José Ildefonso da Silva, Sítio Congonhal, Lambari.
• Luismar Duarte Pimenta, Fazenda Alvorada, Jacuí.
• José Idemir de Souza and Another, Sítio Monte Verde, Andradas.
• Marcelo Vinícius Martins, Sítio Machadinho, Cape Verde.
• Wagner José do Lago and Outro, Sítio Serrinha, Campestre.
• Abner José Celso de Carvalho and Another, Sítio Baixão da Serra, Caldas.
• Fábio José Bruno Franco and Another, Sítio Sede, Caldas.
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