Partnership in Minas Gerais will expand sustainability in coffee

On International Coffee Day, celebrated on October 1st, the Minas Gerais Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company (Emater-MG) and the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé) announce a new partnership to promote the sustainability of Minas Gerais' coffee industry. The partnership will strengthen the "Building Healthy Soils" program, created by Emater-MG.

The initiative aligns with the International Coffee Organization's (ICO) theme for 2025: "Embracing collaboration more than ever." The motto emphasizes the value of cooperation throughout the coffee production chain to ensure sustainable livelihoods and environmental resilience—principles that underlie the agreement between Cecafé and Emater-MG.

The Building Healthy Soils program relies on the use of cover crops intercropped with commercial crops such as coffee. These plants, including crotalaria, millet, forage radish, and pigeon pea, contribute to soil fertility, reduce erosion, increase water infiltration, and improve soil structure. After mowing, the cover crops remain on the land as mulch, forming a protective layer that helps preserve moisture and organic matter, in addition to lowering soil temperature.

The system also yields other significant environmental results. The study "Carbon Balance in Coffee Farming in Minas Gerais," conducted by Imaflora and Esalq/USP at the request of Cecafé, showed that maintaining soil cover, combined with conservation practices, can generate a negative carbon balance of 10,5 tons of CO₂ equivalent per hectare of Arabica coffee per year. This data reinforces the role of regenerative coffee farming in mitigating climate change.

In practice, the partnership between Emater-MG and Cecafé foresees, in this first stage, the installation of Demonstration Units (UDs) on properties in the South of Minas Gerais and Cerrado Mineiro, where the benefits of cover crops for coffee will be evaluated.

"These units will evaluate the benefits of using cover crops between coffee rows, contributing to improved soil health, increased productivity, and greater resilience to climate change," says Silvia Pizzol, Director of Social Responsibility and Sustainability at Cecafé. The cooperation between the two institutions represents a milestone.

Emater-MG technicians and coffee growers will be able to closely observe the effects of these practices on soil and productivity, as well as share experiences during field days. Other activities include specialized technical assistance, soil analysis, biomass assessment, and producer mobilization with the support of exporters affiliated with Cecafé.

Bernardino Cangussu, Technical Coordinator of Coffee Farming at Emater-MG, emphasizes that joint efforts are essential to promoting sustainability in the industry. "By combining knowledge, engagement of exporters, producers, Emater technicians, and institutional support, the partnership represents a concrete step toward regenerative coffee farming, which values ​​soil as the foundation for more balanced and sustainable production. Furthermore, we are responding to the consumer market's desire for environmentally responsible products," he states.