The Cooperativa Agropecuária de Campos Altos (Capeca) in Minas Gerais, Brazil, is inviting European roasters to take part in their 7th auction on October 27th.

On this date, a small number of green coffee buyers will have the chance to buy one (or many!) of the 12 winning coffees of the cooperative's quality competition.

Only 10  roasters registered on Algrano will have access to the samples thanks to a partnership between Algrano and Capeca. 

Campos Altos (High Grounds in Portuguese) is the highest microregion in Cerrado Mineiro, West of Minas Gerais, with altitudes of up to 1200 m above sea level. 

A buffer zone between Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest, Campos Altos has a rich biome and a good rainfall index that makes irrigation systems unnecessary. 

The region is surrounded by four mountain ranges: Serra da Canastra, Serra da Saudade, Serra do Urubu and Serra do Salitre. The average temperature ranges from 18.6℃  to 19.5℃.

The region’s potential for quality is recognised both internally and abroad. In 2020, Campos Altos produced around 150,000 60 kg bags of coffee, most of which were exported. 

There are roughly 15 million coffee trees being cultivated in an area of 9,135.7 hectares. Campos Altos' history in coffee dates back to the early 20th century and the coffee sector is the main source of jobs for locals. 

Algrano was contacted by Capeca's manager Bruno Antonio Franco, owner of Inhame Farm, to invite coffee roasters to the auction for the second time. 

In 2021, Algrano roasters secured five winning lots, all single-farm coffees scoring between 85 and 88 points.

In September, a team of Q-Graders selected by CAPECA cupped and ranked dozens of lots submitted by local coffee producers. The jury chose the six best coffees in the categories Natural and Pulped Natural. 

“We are very impressed with the quality of the Pulped Naturals this year. Usually, the Naturals are the showstoppers. But this time the Pulped Naturals can end up getting higher bids," says Bruno.