Regenerative Coffee: Shaping the Future of Farming with Foodflows' Brazilian Partner Henrique

How direct trade and forest-grown coffee build resilience against climate change and commodity chaos.

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The global coffee market faces relentless pressure from climate change and volatile commodity prices. At Foodflows, we believe the solution lies in moving beyond simple sustainability and embracing a regenerative, farmer-centric model. Our mission is to build resilient supply chains that heal the planet and secure the livelihoods of our producers.

The grower is our most critical asset.

🌱 The Wisdom of Agroforestry: Partnering with Pioneers

Our deep partnership with Henrique Sloper epitomizes our commitment to regenerative practices. As an early pioneer in Brazil's specialty coffee movement, Henrique practices agroforestry on his Fazenda Camocim in Espírito Santo.

Celebrating our partnership with Henrique in Brazil.

This system integrates coffee plants into the existing native forest, which provides essential shade, protects the soil from erosion, and eliminates the need for synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. The result is not just ethically sound, but produces award-winning specialty Arabica coffee. Our connection with Henrique is a cornerstone of our philosophy, and we've documented his work, including a recent 20-minute video interview, to share his vital insights on regenerative practices and the future of coffee.

Snapshot of our talk with Henrique at the World of Coffee in Geneva (here the whole video).

🥊 Building Resilience Against Climate Shocks

The need for regenerative farming has never been more urgent. Recent years have brought devastating effects, even in Brazil. We've seen significant crop failures due to adverse climatic conditions. The Amazon region and Southeast Asia have faced extreme drought in recent years, impacting productivity and increasing fire risk.

These realities underscore why we must expand the use of regenerative practices on our farms and build flexibility into our operations. By working directly with farmers committed to soil health and biodiversity, we are collectively building resilience against a highly volatile climate future.

💰 Escaping the Commodity Trap: Pricing for Value

To ensure that high-quality, sustainably produced coffee remains viable, we reject the volatile, speculative nature of the commodity markets. This process, which we call “De-commoditization,” has been a core part of our model from the beginning.

Instead of relying on fluctuating prices set by financial contracts in New York or London, our pricing model is built on fundamental factors like the farmers' production costs and the value of finished roasted specialty coffee. This approach allows us to ensure fairer compensation for our partners, even when external factors—like weather-related shortfalls or increased investment fund activity—drive up mainstream prices.

Our direct-trade model and superior quality mean that good, true coffee won't get cheaper anytime soon—and we communicate openly about why this necessary cost reflects the quality, the resilience, and the future of the coffee you enjoy.

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