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Photo / Expocacer

What is Expocacer doing to incentivize stages and combines theory with real-life practice. Start-
Succession in Coffee Growing? ing with the foundations, young farmers learn about the
history of coffee in Brazil and the principles of a coffee
Established in 1993, Expocacer’s mission is to pro- cooperative. They are later exposed to specialty coffee
mote coffee quality among its 700 producer members and concepts that will assist them in ensuring the quality of
ensure social, economic, and environmental sustainability their crop. This involves learning about sustainable cul-
in the Cerrado Mineiro region. Its infrastructure includes tivation, requirements and best practices for producing
two warehouses with the capacity of holding over one specialty-grade beans, coffee classifications, cupping, and
million bags, and it helps members process, store, and ex- roasting. Finally, they are educated on the business side
port their coffee to more than thirty countries. of things. Courses in production management, leadership,
“The cooperative aims to inspire change and the and marketing provide future coffee producers with tools
progressive expansion of value in every decision,” says to make the family business more efficient, innovative,
Moraes, “generating positive impact and establishing our and profitable. They also visit the Expocacer warehouse
commitment to the future of coffee growing.” Part of that and the farms of cooperative members to interact with
commitment comes in the form of Teens, a program aimed industry workers and witness the size and significance of
at increasing the succession rate in Brazil’s coffee farms. the coffee market.
Cultivating the Future Today Teens is a program Teens, now on its third edition, sparks optimism
where youth aged 14-21 from coffee-producing commu- for the future of coffee production. But the road to suc-
nities have the opportunity to learn about the broader cession is not as smooth as we would like. Some partic-
business of coffee and the range of processes and op- ipants are as young as 14 years old and much can hap-
portunities it incorporates. “Those who are born on a pen between the time they complete the program and
farm are many times discouraged from continuing their the time they are ready to take the reins of the farm.
parents’ activities, which is why it is very important to Ensuring they stay on the coffee-growing path remains
introduce new perspectives, technologies, and experienc- a major concern, Moraes explains. “One of the biggest
es,” says Expocacer’s Director of Organizational Devel- challenges we face is ensuring that participants truly
opment Raquel Paza Lazzarin. Throughout the program, commit to paths of family succession in coffee farming.
participants are introduced to parts of the business that There is always a need to innovate, update, and adapt
expand well beyond the farm. The program is divided into our strategies to engage young people meaningfully.”

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