We are happy to welcome Fazenda Tres Meninas, to our network of producers with who we partner, through the Taf Direct Relationship Program. Fazenda Tres Meninas is located in Monte Carmelo, a part of the traditionally coffee growing region of Cerrado, Brazil. Tres Meninas and taf share common values that are at the core of their identity and define their collaboration. Values such as quality, sustainable management, innovation, transparency and consistency are driving forces both for Fazenda Tres Meninas and taf.

Paula and Marcelo, owners and equal managers of the farm believe that as producers they have a responsibility to society - to leave a better legacy in terms of environmental and social benefits beyond their farm. A responsibility that extends to their daughters, who they want to educate with the same principles and values.

While taking special care to the soil using science and the best technologies available, Paula and Marcelo have been pioneers in the application of whole-farm regenerative coffee cultivation in the Cerrado region since 2016. Furthermore, they share the data, techniques and results which they collected over the years, with universities and other interested farmers. 

Nowadays, Tres Meninas goes one step further and adopts a conservative management model. Being independent of many chemicals, they now work on maintaining the ecosystem, and as a result they have become organic. This was not their objective at the beginning, but due to the balance achieved in the system, the crop doesn’t have a high demand for chemical defenses anymore. According to the 2019 report of the Imaflora Institute, Tres Meninas is now carbon negative and is part of the top 5% of the world's most sustainable coffees (sequestering around 5.5 tons/ha in CO2). As part of the soil care, the farm operates under the cover cropping model, where they maintain plant crops that act as natural fertilizer and food for the soil. This category of plants is not necessarily exploitable, but it functions as organic food for the soil and improves dramatically its composition. In addition, they use agro-ecological tree corridors: different tree species within the fruit that attract natural enemies of coffee pests, improve biodiversity and create an optimal microclimate to mitigate climate challenges. The farm is independent in terms of energy, as it produces its own energy needs, while water resources are also managed, with the conservation and reuse of rainwater – something that positively affects the approximately 7000 inhabitants of the surroundings. Finally, bee colonies are located on the farms, and they improve pollination productivity, contribute to biodiversity, and are the best indicator of the quality of a micro-environment.

Tres Meninas’ vision is based on the balanced operation of the entire ecosystem, but also of the system of people who frame it. It becomes a reality with the use of good practices and with respect towards the environment.

Fazenda Tres Meninas holds Rainforest Alliance Certifications, Regenerative (1st in Brazil that is regenerative and organic), Organic Brazil (Europe will come on 2024 harvest) but also a multitude of awards for their coffee and the way they operate.