From organization in the field to international recognition, the Fairtrade certified coffee goes through a quality path, even more, due to collective action. Cooperatives and associations from small producers and farmers have been performing a decisive role in raising the standards of Brazilian coffee grains, matching technical assistance, also encouraging continuous improvement, social appreciation and environmental responsibility.

This partnership brings visibility in initiatives like the Golden Cup, a contest that has consolidate as a showcase from Fairtrade coffee produced in Brazil and highlights as structured action in the field that reflects in quality, admission to international markets and generates profits to the producing families.

The coffee quality contest is intended to reward the best grains with Fairtrade Certified produced by smallholder families and producers in Brazil. This event is organized by the Latin American Coordinator and small producers from Caribbean, workers from Fair trade (CLAC), in a partnership with Fairtrade Association of producers’ organization from Brazil (BRFAIR).

The coffee sales manager at CLAC, Paulo Ferreira, has mentioned about the contest and how it awarded the best arabica and canephora coffees from Brazil, bringing new possibilities to markets and stimulates the continues search for quality.

“The Golden Cup is the main coffee quality platform from Brazil. Today this contest is recognized worldwide. Many international buyers are looking for award winning coffees in the Golden Cup, and it helps promoting the name and work coming from the organizations to the market”, highlighted Paulo.

According to the person in charge of coffee at CLAC, this year multiple international buyers got to know the winning coffees, which were announced during the coffee international week (SIC/ CIW), in the city of Belo Horizonte in the State of Minas Gerais, in November.

“This year we were able to have the presence of importers, roasters and supermarket chains owners. Also two clients from Canada got really impressed with quality and got to know about the history and a little about the work been done by the cooperatives and associations. They liked so much the see the impact that Fairtrade generates, not only the productive part and quality, but also social and environmental”, mentioned Paulo.

He explained that the Golden Cup came initially in Brazil and Costa Rica and nowadays it is held in Fairtrade Coffee producing countries. “We already have 11award- editions, precisely to show that the Fairtrade coffee has quality, different from the way it used to be seen, just about the social and environmental part provided by the certification. We were also able to position Brazil as quality Fairtrade coffee source”. He recalled.

And it was the Golden Cup one of the most important encouragers to the coffee grains quality increase, together with other actions done by the cooperatives and associations. In recent years we have noticed a great evolution, both in terms of score at the microlots awarded and bigger lots. “We have noticed a quality consistence of all cooperatives and associations. So, this is what the market appreciates, which is to have the organizations’ general volume consistence, to become a market reliable supply chain”. Explained.

The Golden Cup awards the best coffees of arabica and cenephora varieties, in microlot categories, which evaluates the best grains from producers and also the full Container that evaluates a general lot provided by the cooperative and association produced by a group of growers.

Capixaba Conilon wons two categories  

One example of consistence in quality is the participation of the coffee grower’s cooperative located in the South of the State of Espirito Santo (Cafesul), that besides having conquered the full container category with cenephora coffee also had its cooperators wining in the Microlots category. The coffee grower Neusa Maria da Silva was the national winner.

The president of Cafesul, Carlos Renato Alvarenga, celebrated the results acquired in the award. “We have been taking part of the Golden Cup since the first edition and for us, it has been very important, because it gives visibility to the producers.

In the last years the women have been playing an important role, winning the contest, just like happened this year. The coffee that Neusa produces, which was the 2025 winner, has already been sold to client in Germany. They came to Brazil and tasted many kinds of coffee and the one that they liked a lot was the coffee produced by Neusa”. Said Renato.

The cooperative leader emphasized the importance of the award to amplify the coffee visibility. “The winning coffees are also sent to international fairs in Europe and in The United States of America. I always take part in the fairs in Europe, and we have been doing great. This is an important action done by CLAC, which gives visibility to quality coffees”. Highlighted.

A young coffee farmer sells his coffee to several countries

Denmark, Canada, Africa and Estonia. These are the countries which have received the winning coffees in the microlot category from the young coffee farmer Fabiano Diniz, who is from the city of Manhuacu, in the region of Minas Gerais Forest. He is producer of the Regional Industry Cooperative and Trade in Agricultural products by “people who fight” (Coorpol) Diniz produces coffee together with his parents and sister.

And for those who would like to taste the Arabica coffee which won the Golden Cup contest do not have to travel to those countries mentioned above, because part of its lot can be found in cafeterias in the city of Brasilia (Federal District), the State of Aracaju, Rio de Janeiro and in the city of Belo Horizonte, in the State of Minas Gerais. Besides the Golden cup, the coffee has also won regional and national prizes, including one prize in China, this way, proving its quality, which has scored over 90 points.

“The Golden Cup means a lot to us, because it was our first prize, in 2021.

In 2022 we won the national title for the first time. After that we won in 2024 and now in 2025, we got the third championship. These kinds of coffee are taken to international fairs, and it helps a lot in its promotion,” informed Diniz. Each 60 bag kilos of the awarded coffee were sold between R$6 thousand and R$10 thousand reais, way above the current market value.

Actions done with producers improve grain quality in the Cerrado Region.

The Cerrado Region Small Producers Association (APPCER/ CRSPA), with its headquarters in the city of Patrocinio, in the State of Minas Gerais was the winner in the Arabica full container. This victory shows that producers that are associated with the cooperative, produce a pattern in grains, they are encouraged and supported by actions executed by APPCER/ ARSPA.

The President of this association, Carlos Fardin Nunes, mentions some actions and projects focused into quality developed on farms. “We have a coffee quality consultant and for three years in a role we have been giving courses and oriented and helped our coffee growers during the harvest, so they can make quality coffee lots, and we got good results”. Affirmed, Carlos.

Fardin has mentioned that for 11 years APPCER/ ARSPA has held quality contest among the affiliated members to stimulate quality production. “We have always stimulated the associates to search for quality, because we do know that this way we can have better prices, plus the coffee visibility. The buyers start seeing us in a different way, because they know we have a better product. Added, Fardin.

The President of the Organization has also highlighted that the young farmers are more and more committed in producing differentiated coffee. “They have been looking for knowledge and taking to their properties. And we see those better results each year. This is so important because it strengthens the whole group and it stimulates a kind of healthy competition among the associates, but everybody exchange experiences and help themselves to get better”. Said, Fardin.

Carlos Fardin celebrated the Golden Cup result. “The award proves that our work together with the associates is giving good results. BRFAIR and CLAC are working hard to give more visibility to quality certified coffee in the international market. The small producers in Brazil are producing a lot of quality coffee, and we are showing the world a high standard coffee”. Concluded 

FAIRTRADE. The Fairtrade certification is a global seal of Fair Trade, and it ensures a fair commerce for the producers, ensuring them a minimum price, additional prize for investments, better work conditions and environmental protection through strict patterns of independent consultancies, aiming to balance the commerce and empower the producers, workers and communities through products like coffee, cocoa, sugar, cotton and flowers. In Latin America and Caribbean, it is coordinated by CLAC, and there is in Brazil the BRFAIR as a national coordinator.