The Coffeehouse blog is way for our company to talk with and feature our employees around the
world to show our customers just how important their cup of coffee is to those
who help put it in their cups. This week
we feature Cristiano Baraz, a local farmer in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Question: We ask everyone in our Global
Brew family- What does coffee mean to you?
Cristiano: Our
whole community is supported by the coffee trade. Coffee is life. (laughs). It’s also good for breakfast.
Question: Can you tell us how long you’ve
been a coffee farmer?
Cristiano: I
grew up growing coffee. I worked in the
field as a kid but I think my earliest memories were age four or so.
Question: So did you get your start with
family?
Cristiano: No. We had a local businessman who owned most of
the properties here. We lived on the
grounds and worked on the farms to get percentages of the crops we harvested.
Question: Do you own your property now?
Cristiano:
Yes. My brother and I managed to buy our
property about 10 years ago. Our
families live here and work the land just like we did growing up. (laughs).
We keep all of our profits now though.
Question: How has that changed your
business?
Cristiano: As an
owner I have to make decisions for the future instead for the season. I think about building; doing more. That’s what made me want to work with Global
Brew.
Question: Why is that?
Cristiano: They
are the leaders in the coffee business.
I thought if I built a business relationship with the company, I could
have stability and higher profits. This
is good for my family.
Question: How long have you worked with
Global Brew and what has this partnership meant for your business?
Cristiano: Four
years. Since then I have been able to
hire three more employees and send my kids to school. Business has been good until recently.
Question: The company’s recent crisis
about the Fair Trade practices have sparked major criticism. Do you still hope to continue the
partnership.
Crisitiano: I
believe there were mistakes in the business but I believe they are trying. Me, the other farmers just want to be
respected for our hard work. If Global
Brew honors the contract we have, if they honor my product, I will be happy to
continue.
Question:
Protests in this region have lead to the #DoWeMatter movement on social
media. Do you have this same question
for Global Brew?
Cristiano:
Honestly I do. I have a business and a
family. The company has brought money to
our community. They seemed to care. I hope it’s true. Many companies make mistakes. We can forgive and move on. I won’t criticize them. I just hope to grow from this situation. Global Brew matters to me. I want to matter to them.
Click below to see him take us
on a tour of his property and a glimpse of how Cristiano takes his coffee:
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