My name is Marcos Croce and this is Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza in Mococa, Brazil. Since 2001, when my wife Silvia inherited this farm, we decided it would be wonderful to have a project that would deeply impact our lives – a project with meaning and purpose. We aimed to transform this farm into a model of sustainability; socially, environmentally, and economically. Our goal is to sow the seeds of sustainability within the individual, the family, and society at large.
Today, we collaborate with over 80 farmers, both medium and small-scale, all embracing what we call the "Bob-o-link project". The Bob-o-link project is a community of farmers who are committed to care both for today and the future. It's about farming for today and farming for tomorrow.
Our work is dedicated to protecting springs, creating green corridors for wildlife, and really bring dirt back into soil. And to produce great products. We have coffee as our main production, but we also plant other cultures in the middle of the coffee.
So, what we have is a 100-year plan. Everybody is going to be in this party, one hundred years from now and you guys are invited. That means that every decision we make on this farm today is with that celebration in mind – whether we're planting trees, safeguarding water, or new buildings. Whatever we do, we are thinking one hundred years from now.
There are two things we wish to give this planet, and our home: legacy and longevity. We're here not just for today, but for one hundred years to come.
- Marcos Croce, co-founder of FAF coffees and the Bob-o-link Project
Today, Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza thrives under the leadership of Marcos and Silvias son, Felipe, while Marcos is dedicated to expanding the horizons through the export part of the business. FAF Coffees has evolved beyond its origins as a sustainable farm; it now encompasses a network of like-minded farmers, a hub for coffee research, and an export company delivering their coffee globally.
We at J&N made our first purchase from FAF Coffees in 2010, and their beans have consistently been cherished favourites in our assortment ever since. Annually, we procure approximately 38 tonnes of coffee from FAF. This quantity equates to two full containers, or to visualise, 640 bags of green coffee! Our selection spans various lots, which we use not only in our single origin series Farmers and Flavours, but also as key components in some of our signature filter and espresso blends.
