Individual processing by each smallholder grower requires much greater investment in equipment and makes quality control more difficult than in the case of small central mills for groups of growers. Liquid and solid waste disposal can be better managed in central mills. As a result, growers can make more money and the environment can be protected. Central processing can be a starting point for groups of growers to buy inputs, e.g., fertilizers, and to sell their coffee together in order to obtain better trading terms and prices in both cases. In summary, bringing growers together to process their coffee, to buy the inputs they need, and to sell their product can have a positive impact on economic, social and environmental sustainability.

Lecturers

Carlos Brando Partner, P&A LTDA

Carlos Brando is a civil engineer who attended the SPURS and PhD programs at MIT. A shareholder at Pinhalense and a partner at P&A, his long and diversified experience in the coffee sector has led him to work as a consultant for the International Coffee Organization, World Bank, Sustainable Trade Initiative, Global Coffee Platform and many other companies and institutions. He has coordinated coffee projects in more than 50 producing countries across five continents, including all the main coffee growing areas of Brazil. Carlos has sat on the boards of UTZ and Ipanema Coffees, was a member of the Coffee Chamber of B3 (Brazilian Stock and Commodities Exchange), is a member of the Coffee Quality Institute’s Board of Trustees and MIT SPURS Advisory Board, and chairman of the board of the Global Coffee Platform. Carlos contributed chapters on coffee processing, quality and sustainability for several books including Jean Wintgens’ “Coffee: Growing, Processing, Sustainable Production”, illycafé’s “Espresso Coffee the Science of Quality” and Nespresso’s “The Craft and Science of Coffee”. Carlos received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the African Fine Coffees Association in 2017.

João Alberto Brando, Director P&A LTDA

João Alberto Brando is an economist who wrote a graduation paper on “Costs of producing coffee in key selected countries” and holds a Master’s Degree on economics and finance. João Alberto is the director of P&A where he manages Pinhalense and Carmomaq sales outside Brazil. As part of his work, João has visited Ethiopia, Vietnam, Colombia and Uganda, just to mention some of the largest coffee producing countries, and made coffee-related presentations in producing countries as diverse as Peru and India and in international events like AFCA’s, besides Brazil itself. Before that he was the P&A trader in charge of Africa, one of Pinhalense’s main markets abroad. João Alberto’s work in producing countries has created the evidence that supports the economies of scale claim in the presentation proposed. His support of P&A’s work for the Global Coffee Platform and CocoaAction gave him further background on sustainability.