Special coffee generates opportunities and greater profitability for the producer Credit: Disclosure. On many farms in the south of Minas, the production of specialty coffees has changed practices that have gone down generations. The timing of the harvest began to be monitored more rigorously. Plots began to be separated. Post-harvest has gained new care. Lots that previously followed the same destination began to receive different treatments until they reached warehouses. The change has a clear reason: quality now represents an opportunity to add value to production. In recent years, coffee growers in the region have invested in techniques capable of raising the standard of the drink and serving a market that seeks specific attributes of aroma, flavor, acidity and origin. The result appears in the appreciation of grains and the opening of new marketing channels inside and outside Brazil. From conventional production to the premium market Transformation doesn't happen overnight. Producing a special coffee requires planning, technical knowledge and constant monitoring of the crop. Issues such as plant nutrition, phytosanitary management, ideal fruit ripening point, selective harvesting and adequate drying have become central to the routine of many coffee growers. In several Cooxupé cooperative properties, this process changed the way of seeing the activity. Coffee is no longer evaluated solely by the volume produced and is now treated as a product capable of generating value due to its sensorial characteristics and its origin. The trajectory of award-winning producers in quality programs helps illustrate this evolution. In 2025, cooperative member Virgolino Adriano Muniz, from Cape Verde, won first place in Especialíssimo, a special coffee selection program carried out by Cooxupé and SMC Specialty Coffees. The batch achieved 90.92 points in the technical evaluation, an index considered to be of excellence in the international market. The achievement was the result of work built over the years. Before the title, the producer had already achieved prominent positions in other editions of the program, accumulating experience and perfecting the processes adopted at the property. Extremely special is the Cooxupé and SMC Specialty Coffees program that selects and rewards the best coffees from cooperative members Credit: Disclosure. Quality that crosses borders The advancement of specialty coffees also increased the presence of producers from the South of Minas Gerais in the most demanding markets in the world. Lots selected from Cooxupé's members go to countries such as Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, Italy, Australia, Canada and several other consumer markets. Many of these beans are used in special blends sold by international roasters and consumed by connoisseurs who value quality, traceability and origin. Part of this production also reaches the Brazilian consumer. Coffees selected by Especialíssimo are part of special lines from Torrefação Cooxupé. According to the cooperative's roasting industry, the blends are produced with batches with high sensory scores, coming from properties that follow quality, traceability and sustainability criteria. The proposal is to provide consumers with coffees with distinct profiles and identity of origin. Technical assistance and quality incentives The strengthening of specialty coffees in the South of Minas is associated with continuous technical guidance work carried out with producers. Through Cooxupé and SMC Specialty Coffees, members receive specialized support focused on the different stages of production, from crop management to post-harvest processes. According to the vice-president of the cooperative, Osvaldo Bachião Filho, the search for quality requires permanent dedication and attention to detail. “Producing special coffee is not a simple task. It requires care, attention and a lot of care. What we observe is an increasing engagement of cooperative families in continually improving the quality of their coffees”, he states. He also highlights that the objective of the work carried out by Cooxupé is to ensure that the grains meet the standards required by the international market and are produced according to sustainability criteria and good agricultural practices. Producer Adriano Muniz, a Cooxupé member from the city of Cape Verde (MG), produced the best special coffee from the 2025 harvest in the cooperative's area of operation Credit: Disclosure. A portrait of the evolution of coffee farming Created in 2016, Especialíssimo closely follows the evolution of the production of specialty coffees in Cooxupé's area of operation, which covers the Cerrado of Minas Gerais, Matas de Minas, Médio Mogiana in the state of São Paulo, in addition to the South of Minas. The program identifies lots produced by cooperative members that reach high quality standards and expands the marketing opportunities for these coffees. With each harvest, the results reveal the technical advancement of the participating properties. In 2025, the best-ranked coffees came from municipalities such as Cape Verde, Poços de Caldas and Caldas, locations that have stood out for their production of high-quality beans. In addition to recognizing coffee growers, the selected lots find space in markets that reward attributes linked to quality, origin and traceability. “The selected lots are sold at different prices, stimulating exports and expanding Brazil's presence in the international market, while valuing the origin and work of each producing family”, says Bachião. The consolidation of specialty coffees in the south of Minas shows that the competitiveness of coffee farming increasingly involves differentiation. In a global market attentive to the origin, traceability and attributes of the drink, quality is no longer just a technical requirement and has become part of the economic strategy of rural properties. Production of coffee with excellent quality has stimulated coffee growing families Credit: Disclosure.