Sixth edition of the CCBC Coffee Mission in September will bring the special coffee from Brazil to Canada.

Project of the Chamber, in five years, contributed to increase the presence of the Brazilian grain in the Canadian market. Identifying opportunities for Brazilian special coffee in Canada, in 2012 the CCBC took the first group of producers in a commercial mission to the country. They started, from there, regular exports of their products. Currently, Brazil holds 20% of the Canadian coffee market (Canada is the 6th greatest importer in the world), Colombia being first, 27%. “The expectation is to continue to grow in the next few years”, says Arminio Calonga Jr., business development at CCBC.

In the first edition, AMSC – Associação Alta Mogiana Specialty Coffees, producers of the region of Pardinho (SP) and Guaxupé (MG), formed the group that went to Canada. Today more regions are part of the Chamber’s coffee missions: Cerrado Mineiro, South of Minas, Serra do Caparaó, North of São Paulo and Paraná – almost 60 producers are already taking part.

The success of the CCBC coffee missions increased in 2015, when they began to include cupping in the programming, allowing the buyer/taster to perceive all the characteristics of the product. “This has increased the speed and consistency of business”, says Arminius. In addition to cupping, which includes the Mission package, there are visits to Montreal and Toronto, where they participate in The Canadian Coffee & Tea Show, the largest trade fair in the sector, where the CCBC participates with its own booth.

In 2017, the results of the mission happened faster: three containers of Brazilian special coffee have been shipped to Canada since the last Mission. The beans are shipped green due to the longer shelf life they present and because they can be roasted in loco according to the pattern of each coffee shop and the customers. “The Canadian has his own style for his coffee, which is essentially defined in the roasting”, explains Arminio.