#1 - Bruno Antonio Franco

Bruno Antonio Franco and his father Marcos proudly own and operate Fazenda Inhame farm, nestled in Campos Altos, Brazil. This farm holds a cherished place in their family history, spanning over 50 years.

Bruno represents CAPECA (Cooperativa Agropecuária de Campos Altos), a local cooperative aiding in coffee exportation. As the 5th generation stewarding this land, Bruno is deeply committed to its sustainable practices and quality.

Fazenda Inhame boasts UTZ certification, ensuring responsible farming practices. Workers are guaranteed at least minimum wage, alongside access to education, safe water, and healthcare.

#2 - Mamy Dioubaté together with micro farmers

Mamy Dioubaté was born in Guinea, did his doctorate in Germany and only later returned to his original homeland. He re-discovered the region of Macenta and the Ziama massif - a 1,384 m high mountain range surrounded by one of the densest rainforest areas in West Africa. The region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to 22 protected species.

The high altitude and the special humid microclimate of the Macenta region offer excellent growing conditions which, in combination with state-of-the-art processing techniques, result in excellent quality coffee.

Coffee growing is not a new practice in the region, but lack of direct market has never made it an attractive economic activity to the locals. Yet the local conditions are extremely good for high-quality speciality, or fine robusta. Mamy is commited to changing that and making their Macenta Beans known to the world. He’s been devoting a lot of energy to this young but solid project and we at Horizonte are happy to be one of their early supporters.

The whole region has been benefiting from fair trade practice where farmers are paid three times more than the usual market price. In addition, sustainable practices were brought to the region to create more jobs out of the coffee season, such as fruit and vegetable projects.

With a care for the environment, no fertilisers, no chemicals are used. They practice waste-free production and the Robusta trees create habitats for bees and insects and improves soil conditions since it’s not grown in monoculture.