An event promoted by CCBC aims to bring coffee from Varginha (MG), Brazil’s largest coffee producer, to the palates of Canadian consumers

By Marcel Salim

The Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada (CCBC), through its Belo Horizonte Chapter in Minas Gerais, held the event “The Coffee Sector in Brazil and Opportunities in Canada”, bringing together people connected to the coffee production chain to discuss topics relevant to internationalization and the development of new businesses.

The initiative, supported by the Government of Canada, the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA), the Coffee Trade Center of the State of Minas Gerais, Porto Seco Sul de Minas and LIV Logística, a coffee warehousing specialist, took place in Varginha, a municipality located in the south of Minas Gerais and considered to be the largest coffee producing center in Brazil.

“The significance of this event lies in the endorsement that Brazilian coffee, exported to Canada, can have on the world stage. The country is a signatory of the G7, the group of the seven most industrialized countries with high potential for coffee consumption,” emphasizes Erick Rodrigues Silveira, managing partner of Inter Aduaneira and coordinator of the BH Chapter.

For Daniella Leite, director of Associates and Business at CCBC, the market to be explored is vast and the goal is to facilitate the export of products to a public that values quality coffee. “There is a very large and demanding consumer market in Canada. The country is among the top 10 consumers of coffee (which represents an average of 2.7 cups a day) and 72% of Canadians drink more coffee than water. Due to this potential, our idea is precisely to bring together producers, cooperatives and companies to show the way on how to export to North America, conquering new palates and positioning Brazil in a prominent position,” explains Daniella.

Minas Gerais presence

Brazil is the world´s largest coffee producer, accounting for 38% of global production. Minas Gerais represents 52% of the national total. From January to July this year, the state recorded US$ 2.9 billion in revenue and 12.8 million sacks destined for 87 countries, mainly the United States, Germany and Italy.                                                                                                                             

According to the Coffee Trade Center of the State of Minas Gerais, the ‘Cafés do Brasil’ brand is being promoted more intensively abroad, and this is a good time to reposition itself on the global market. 

Forecasts                                                                                                                                   

CCBC expects coffee trade between Brazil and Canada to grow by 3% by 2025. According to the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA), for differentiated coffees – including certified and specialty types – Canadian consumption has increased significantly in recent years.

“Canada’s population, composed of many immigrants from different regions of the world, is diversifying. We are now able to work with specialty coffees as well as commodity coffees… and for Brazil, this is a positive point because we can open and explore different business fronts,” explains Daniella Leite.

Enhancing the brand

Among CCBC’s missions is the effort to highlight to the world how diverse Brazil is in its productions. “This is why we are working together to further explore the ‘Brazil brand’. Alongside the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), the Canadian Consulate and Invest Minas, CCBC is strongly committed to this path,” concludes Daniella.