CERRADO MINEIRO, Brazil – The Cerrado Coffee Growers Cooperative (Expocacer) starts operations in the United States through a logistics HUB in the state of Dellaware, sending in this first shipment a container with around 320 bags of 60kg of coffee.
Currently, the North American market is the largest buyer of Brazilian coffee, and the expectation is that there will be an increase in sales of 10% to 15% in the first year.
In 2023, the cooperative sold more than 1.3 million of 60kg bags, an all-time record, with 40% of it to foreign markets, in more than 30 countries.
Expocacer operations in the United States
“The Hub will open new market doors throughout the country, as it is strategically located in North America. We will be able to offer coffee with immediate delivery, in any quantity. This will be possible because now we will always have available coffee in warehouses, on behalf of Expocacer USA,” says Simão Pedro de Lima, Managing Director of Expocacer.
With this initiative, Expocacer is once again considered a pioneer in actions for the growth of the coffee industry. This dynamism also aims to boost the economy and consumption of specialty coffee, which is growing more and more in the internal and external markets. According to the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), the global consumption of Brazilian specialty coffee has grown consistently at an annual rate of 12% in recent years.
“The search for a quality bean, that is produced with a concern of preserving the environment and taking care of social aspects, as it is already done in Brazil, is a trend that will remain, and Expocacer having its unit in the United States caters to this. Consumers want to know the origin and story of the coffee they consume, and nothing better than being closer to the consumer, with this new hub,” says Italo Henrique Pereira Silva, Expocacer’s Commercial Director.
The logistic hub plays an important role in shortening the chain between producer and consumer. Expocacer, as a coffee growers’ cooperative, represents the effective presence of its members in the North American market, as it is the extension of the producer’s arm, forming the direct farm in its true essence.
“The cooperative’s mission is to take the name of its members directly to those who buy our coffee. Having one of our units in the United States is the result of our dedicated work, that produce coffee with quality and sustainability, generating a positive impact on the market,” says Fernando Beloni, Chairman of Expocacer’s Board of Directors.
The cooperative, now present in the United States, will make available its entire quality portfolio and its experience in the production of environmentally friendly coffee, such as regenerative and low-carbon coffee farming.
“We have to be attuned to the global trends, and today, the reality of specialty coffee is of a fractionated market, direct trade, as well as social and environmental respectability. Consumers want to know where the coffee comes from, if it’s made sustainably, and Expocacer’s members do that very well,” concludes the Managing Director.
About Expocacer
Established in 1993 and located in PatrocÃnio/MG, the Cooperativa dos Cafeicultores do Cerrado (Expocacer) promotes coffee quality and the work of its members in Brazil and around the world through significant socio-environmental initiatives and contributions to the regional economy. The cooperative’s infrastructure includes two warehouses with a capacity for over 1 million bags. Currently, they serve 680 producers, exporting to more than 30 countries across 5 continents.
