Born and raised in the interior of Minas Gerais, Paulo Afonso de Resende fosters fond memories of his childhood. At a very young age he witnessed the beauty of coffee production, observing his father's dedication to work in the fields in order to provide the family with a dignified life. The example of hard work from his father motivated him to pursue his dreams that eventually led him to the capital city of the State, where Paulo Afonso studied to become an engineer.

After a long and successful journey as an engineer in Belo Horizonte, Paulo Afonso decided to fulfill another personal desire and reconnect with his family's history and his origins in the countryside. Thus, in 1993, he purchased Fazenda Santa Clara, located in Oliveira, Minas Gerais, where he started a new chapter as a coffee grower.

He started planting his first plots, but without much prior knowledge in agriculture, the support of experts, agronomists and his coworkers at the farm were essential for his development in this new business. Thanks to his persistence and this valuable assistance, Paulo Afonso could organize a long term plan for the farm over the years and nowadays Fazenda Santa Clara is recognized in the region by the quality of the coffees produced.

The background as an engineer gives Paulo Afonso an eye for detail as the organization of
processes and operations. More recently, Paulo Afonso has been investing in the infrastructure of the farm, making improvements and innovating in harvest and post-harvest. He is also very concerned about improving working and life conditions for all employees at the farm.

Having come a long way, Paulo Afonso now fosters another dream that his children will continue the history of the farm and his family and generate even more prosperity for all those involved in the future.