Brazil

An immigrant family from Italy who went to work on the coffee plantations, the Montanari family has been growing coffee for 4 consecutive generations. Joao Batista Montanari has been in the Cerrado Mineiro area for 30 years. In the family, coffee is their main occupation, while its children are responsible for the improvements in coffee processing, but their first concern is the search for the best quality. In 2015, their farm was the winner of the “Competitiveness Award”, which proves that both he and the whole family has focused on the production of specialty coffee, using sustainable methods and modern management. His son, Marcelo Montanari, explains: “I am a 4th generation producer and a lot has changed since my great-grandfather was in charge. In the old days we were only interested in production. Today we focus on the consumer and what exactly is needed. “This motivated me to focus on both the quality of the coffee and its sustainability.”