Ripe coffee fruit from the Cerrado Mineiro region of Brazil. All images courtesy of Federation of Cerrado Mineiro Coffee Producers.
From the heart of the Brazilian coffee lands, the Cerrado Miniero green coffee auction is for the first time happening globally online this year.
Taking place Jan. 29-Feb. 3, the auction features 11 green coffee lots — categorized by post-harvest processing style — that each scored at least 87 points through Specialty Coffee Association standards, as executed by a national and international jury of cuppers.
While benefitting the producers behind each of the lots, the auction program is designed to highlight the Cerrado Mineiro growing region, which was established in the last decade as Brazil’s first “designation of origin.” The designation, led by the Federation of Cerrado Mineiro Coffee Producers (Federação dos Cafeicultores do Cerrado), maintains specific geographic, quality and traceability standards. It also helps to market Cerrado Mineiro-grown coffees to international buyers.
“This virtual auction innovation aims to bridge the gap between Cerrado Mineiro coffee growers and high-quality international roasters, importers and coffee shops, the federation’s executive director, Juliano Trabal, said in an announcement of the new auction format. “By fostering meaningful connections and collaboration within the coffee industry, the auction catalyzes enhancing the global presence of the Cerrado Mineiro Region.”
The auction will be hosted through the M-Cultivo platform, with English translation throughout. Profiles of each of the green coffees and the producers behind them are currently available at the auction website. Coffees are arranged in three categories: natural (dry); washed; and “induced fermentation.” The top-scoring lot in the auction is a natural-process Paraiso-variety coffee produced by Jose Ricardo de Carvalho.
According to the Cerrado producers federation, the 2023/24 harvest brought a record-high number of participants to the auction, now in its 12th year. Meanwhile, average quality scores of the auction coffees have risen by 5 points since the first iteration more than a decade ago, from 83.5 to 88.5 points.
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