Luis Adauto de Oliveira
Coopfam
Minas Gerais, Brazil

“Fair Trade has given us the ability to grow coffee the way it should be grown – sustainably, organically and with great concern for quality.  Our families are fed, our children are in school, and now we can tend to the coffee and the environment.” – Luis Adauto de Oliveira

Luis could never have dreamed of such recognition a few years ago.  Standing on stage in front of his fellow farmers and elite members of the coffee industry, Luis accepted an award for the Best Fair Trade Certified natural coffee in all of Brazil.  He’s come a long way.

Historically, small farmers in Brazil, like Luis, had a hard time competing with large coffee estates.  Due to their small scale, they possess the opportunity to focus on producing quality coffee, but they often lack the infrastructure and resources needed to connect and sell their beans to the specialty coffee market. In the past, they have had no option but to sell their prized beans to intermediary traders for use as filler in house blends, earning mere pennies in the process.

When Luis became president of a cooperative of family farmers called Coopfam in 2003 he became a part of the Fair Trade movement. By empowering Luis to earn a fair wage for his product and giving him the financial freedom to invest in the quality of his coffee, Luis has started producing some of the best in the world.  Luis has purchased better processing equipment, converted to organic farming methods, and invested in community development projects in his neighborhood. Most recently, he helped his coop install several cement drying patios so that their coffee wouldn’t suffer from drying on the dusty, dirt ground.

And while Luis is proud of his award, he is most proud of what he has done for his community. Since converting to organic farming methods, the cooperative has been spending half of what it used to on healthcare.  The cooperative provides healthcare to all its members as well as electricity and support for local schools. With Luis’ leadership and support from Fair Trade, his little Brazilian community is healthy and thriving.