Daniela and Valdir are leaders in a movement toward regenerative coffee farming, which is a principle of making as much of the farm to be self-sustaining as possible. Their 8 hectare farm, Sítio Joaninha, sits around 1300 meters above sea level (masl) and is completely off-grid thanks to a solar array installed at the farm. In addition, through collaboration with our longtime partners at FAF Coffees, the farm has water treatment for coffee processing (a huge step toward local sustainability as runoff water is a major pollutant), and even a device to capture methane from pig farming to create energy for use in their home. Through these efforts, Daniela and Valdir’s work at Sítio Joaninha has become a model of sustainability in coffee farming.
We are proud to offer this coffee through FAF Coffees, a premier Brazilian coffee importer that Firelight has partnered with for over eight years. FAF Coffee’s mission includes investing in their local farming community to help create incredibly sustainable farms, like Sítio Joaninha, while never compromising on quality and flavor.
This coffee has a syrupy, sweet chocolate and caramel base flavor with a splash of tropical mango fruit, rounded out with creamy, vanilla bean notes. Filter methods, like pourover and drip pot highlight the creamy vanilla and hint of mango flavors. A French Press creates a deep, sweet chocolatey coffee with strong nougat flavors.
The following coffee benchmarks have been collected with the help of our importing partners and farmers. Firelight Coffee uses this information to understand and verify the sustainability of each coffee prior to purchase. All information was freely shared by our importing partners and/or the coffee farmer or producer. Sustainability scores were determined by Firelight Coffee based on an evolving set of internal scoring methods and are subject to change. Click to expand each section below the graph for more details.
| Organic Farming | |
| Is the coffee certified organic? | No |
| Has soil analysis been done to determine the optimal fertilizer need? | Yes |
| Is the appropriate amount of fertilizer used on the farm? | Yes |
| Has the use of most synthetic fertilizer been reduced on the farm? | Yes |
| Has the amount of herbicides, specifically Glyphosat, and pesticides been reduced to no more than once per year? | Yes |
| Is any water treatment done for the water used to process the coffee? | Yes |
| Regenerative Farming | |
| Does the farm have at least 30 shade trees per hectare? | No, Concerning Shade Trees – most coffee areas are not yet diversified systematically – but the producers have planted trees as wind breakers dividing field lots or as diversification of cultivation for own consumption. |
| Does the farm have at least 50 shade trees of 3+ types per hectare? | No |
| Is there adequate soil coverage on the farm to promote soil protection? | Yes |
| Has irrigation been limited, only being done on top of covered soil? | Yes |
| Has the use of Chloride been limited? | Yes |
| Has the use of Chloride been stopped completely? | No |
| Is there increasing biodiversity in plant and animal life on the farm? Explain | Yes |
| Is there succession based biomass present on the farm (e.g. grass cover crops, pioneer trees, climax trees)? | No, these producers use cover crops at them moment but not a complex system of successional stratification. |
| Are all defensive and fertilizing inputs used natural and regenerative? | No |
| Is waste properly disposed of on the farm? | Yes |
| Does the importer have a plan to seek increased environmental efforts at the farm level? | Yes, they have a biofactory project targeting the substitution of chemical inputs for pest and disease control with microorganisms (bacteria and fungi). |
| Environmentally Conscious Transport | |
| How far was this coffee transported via container ship? | 5,567nm / 6406 mi |
| How far was this coffee transported via land/truck? | 793 miles |
| Buying Strategy | |
| Is the coffee price set according to the C-Market? | No, they pay above C-market prices and source coffee with a focus on quality and sustainability, developing communities. |
| Does the importer pay producers directly or through a cooperative or other third party? | They pay the producers directly |
| What is the FOB Price? | $3.30 USD |
| Fair Price for Labor | |
| Is the FOB price in line with the Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide? | Yes |
| Does farmgate (amount paid to the farmer) cover the cost of production? | Yes |
| Does farmgate provide a living wage above cost of production? | Yes |
| Working Conditions | |
| Is the farm fair trade certified? | No |
| Do you have an assessment of the risk of child labour, forced labour and human trafficking in your region? | Yes |
| Do you have an assessment of the risks of discrimination, workplace violence and harassment, including sexual and gender-based violence in your region? | Yes |
| Do you have policies and procedures in place for identifying, mitigating, preventing, monitoring and remediating child labour, forced labour, human trafficking, discrimination and workplace violence and harassment, including sexual and gender-based violence? | Yes |
| Philanthropy | |
| Does the importer have a plan to partner with the producer to increase gender equity in this growing region? | No |
| Does the importer have a plan to partner with the producer to increase local education opportunities? | Yes, with a focus on water and sewage treatment education projects. |
| Does the importer have a plan to partner with the producer to alleviate extreme poverty in the region? | Yes |
| Does the importer have a plan to partner with the producer to increase access to sustainable energy? | No |
| Does the importer have a plan to partner with the producer to build, maintain, or increase access to local infrastructure? | Yes, through an agronomist project that helps local farmers with education about their soil and techniques to attain greater sustainability. |
| Does the importer have a plan to partner with the producer to increase access to clean water and/or nutritious food? | No |
| Does the importer have a plan to partner with the producer to support the local economy through job creation &/or infrastructure maintenance? | Yes – by creating long-term relationships, they ensure that coffee production is seen as a viable activity by future generations. A way to contribute to sustainable rural development. |
The farm’s name, Sítio Joaninha, refers to the “ladybirds”, or “ladybugs” that live on the farm and protect coffee shrubs by eating harmful insects. Years ago, when neighboring farms started using pesticides, the ladybirds disappeared from the farm along with the butterflies and the bees. Eventually, with the help of FAF Coffees, farms in the region stopped using harmful chemicals and began organic farming practices. The ladybirds returned and are now a symbol of the environmental stewardship of Sítio Joaninha!
