Day 1: Regenerative Agriculture in Coffee, Living Soil to CupTuesday, 28 July 2026

Brazil as the world's largest producer facing the pressures of global warming. Consumption trends, export opportunities, and the strategic positioning of the national coffee industry.

• Strategic vision

• Climate

• Export

Hands-on workshop mapping risks and opportunities in the Brazilian production chain. Tools for climate risk management, sustainable contracts, and access to premium international markets.

• Value chain

• Risk management

• Premium

Researchers from Embrapa, EPAMIG, and universities discuss how coffee regions are shifting, new heat-tolerant varieties, water management, and adaptation strategies for 2030–2050.

• Climate

• Embrapa

• Research

A focused case study by Natalia Fernandes Carr, ESG Manager at Cooxupé, showcasing practical socio-economic and environmental initiatives in coffee farming. The session highlights regenerative agriculture practices, such as integrating trees into coffee plots to attract beneficial insects, reducing pest impact. Natalia will share insights from a pilot programme involving 12 farmers who successfully earned carbon credits, demonstrating the tangible benefits of sustainable field practices for co-operative members.

• Sustainability

• Profitability

Composting, cover crops, reduction of chemical inputs, and carbon sequestration. Producers from Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, and Bahia share real results from agroecological transitions.

• Regenerative

• Carbon

• Producers

This study evaluates the adoption of sustainable management practices, including biological control and the rational use of agrochemicals, on Brazilian coffee farms. Using the Coffee Management Level Identification Method (MIGG-Coffee), 1,182 rural coffee-producing companies were assessed across different regions.

Results indicate that sustainable practices are more prevalent in larger companies and at higher management levels. However, there is room for improvement in all categories, highlighting the need for public policy programs and private sector engagement to promote sustainable coffee farming practices.

Tasting of six national origins with a sommelier. An environment to connect producers, buyers, and startups.

Real cases of satellite imagery use, predictive production models, IoT for precision irrigation, and blockchain traceability in cooperatives from Cerrado Mineiro and South Minas.

• Technology

• AI

• IoT

• Fertilizer production and application account for 40% of coffee's carbon footprint, with most emissions occurring before beans reach a roaster.
• Regenerative agriculture practices like shade-grown systems and agroforestry are widely promoted, but fertilizer-related emissions are often overlooked despite being measurable and cost-effective to reduce.
• Downstream companies can implement practical and accessible interventions to reduce fertilizer emissions at scale, integrating them into existing farming systems.

Ethiopia is recognised as the centre of origin for Coffea arabica, harbouring a large number of genotypes with distinct biochemical and sensory attributes. This study characterised the physical attributes, chemical composition, and sensory potential of Ethiopian coffee accessions cultivated in Brazil.

Significant variation was observed among the evaluated accessions for chemical compounds and sensory scores, reflecting the biochemical diversity of Ethiopian germplasm. The results highlight the potential of these accessions for quality differentiation in specialty coffee markets and their use in breeding programs to develop new cultivars.

Guided sensory evaluation with Q-Graders. Participants score 10 coffees from different origins. Real-time results — the producer with the highest score receives special recognition.

• Cupping

• Origins

• Q-Graders

The sensory identity of Brazilian coffee

• Specialty

• Processing

• Biodynamic