You can’t discuss coffee without discussing Brazil. The country is unrivalled in its capacity to produce coffee and consumes more of it than most nations – making it a supply chain leader. 

Despite this, up until 2020, no international publications existed outside of the country that directly addressed Brazil’s coffee professionals in their home language of Portuguese.

PDG Brasil’s April 2020 launch – and the response it’s received – has demonstrated that Brazilian producers, roasters, and consumers have been awaiting an online platform to discuss all things coffee in Portuguese. Here’s how the website differs from the rest, and how it’s been received so far.

Lee este artículo en español PDG Brasil Prospera Entre la Audiencia Local

Current Coverage of Brazilian Coffee Industry

Brazil’s coffee production and consumption statistics are mentioned often, as they remain impressive. Not only does the country’s 300,000 coffee farmers produce almost 40% of the world’s coffee – but the country drinks more of it than any other nation too.

Many Brazil-based publications currently cover the local coffee industry in detail. However, many locals feel that mainstream news sites located outside of the country don’t offer content that local coffee professionals would find useful or interesting. Giuliana Bastos is a Brazilian coffee professional and says, “In the international press, much is said about coffee as a commodity and the marketing of green coffee… Little is said about research on new varieties, new processing and agricultural management techniques… the consumption of specialty coffees, the market for coffee shops, and coffee preparation methods.”

Many feel that despite domestic coffee consumption figures being high, there’s a need to educate local consumers on the country’s specialty offerings – and its value in the international market. Gisele Coutinho is the Founder of Pura Caffeína and says that while Brazil produces some incredible coffees, many international consumers don’t appreciate or realise Brazil has a specialty coffee offering – something which media coverage could bring to their attention.

While PDG has been creating a wide range of content in English and Spanish, the launch of PDG Brasil means that Brazilian readers will be able to access the wealth of information offered by the website. It means that they’ll be able to access knowledge on specialty coffee production and consumption from local experts, instead of having to exclusively rely on international news sources. Carlos Santana is a PDG Team Member and explains that many Brazilians get their specialty coffee knowledge from international publications, not realising that these markets are often totally different to Brazil’s.

In addition, it will be able to attract coffee professionals from every point in the supply chain, regardless of their background or social status. Nicholas Yamada is Head of PDG Brasil and feels that the educational content provided by the website can benefit everyone from producers and roasters to baristas and consumers – empowering them to share their knowledge in their own communities. 

You may also like Perfect Daily Grind to Launch PDG Brasil in April 2020

How PDG Brasil Has Bridged The Gap

Since its launch in April, PDG Brasil has been embraced by the Brazilian coffee community. Many feel that it’s helped bridge the information gap present in coverage of the local coffee industry.

Reymar Coutinho de Andrade is the President of Pinhalense, a coffee processing technology company. He says that the website provides him with informative content on the coffee market and that it’s become a known source in the coffee industry, helping to combat fake news. He adds that PDG Brasil “communicates content on the coffee sector beyond traditional media outlets”.

Giuliana recognises that Brazil’s coffee production industry lacks a dedicated communication vehicle, and adds that “PDG Brasil has filled this gap. For us Brazilians, it’s an honour to receive the attention and dedication of a publication that has such international prestige.” 

It’s something they believe will go a long way towards getting local consumers to seek out Brazilian specialty coffee. Gisele believes that “we need to educate consumers who still aren’t aware of the quality of Brazilian specialty coffee, and connect to existing consumers who already enjoy it and want to learn more about it.” Carlos adds that it may help specialty coffee producers too, by offering them specialised content on the latest technologies and processing methods being used on specialty coffee farms. 

What Does Tomorrow Hold For PDG Brasil?

It’s only been a few months since PDG Brasil has launched, but it’s already impacted its target market, and there are high hopes for what it could cover in future. Gisele says she’d like to see the website showcase more people on the frontlines, such as those running specialty coffee shops, those packaging the coffee, and those analysing it. Nicholas is positive that as more knowledge is shared, it will result in consumers becoming more conscious, producers improving their skills, roasters developing new profiles, and baristas perfecting their brewing skills.

PDG Brasil has full-time team members in the country and one in Portugal, opening the publication up to a European Portuguese speaking audience. In addition, Ivan Laranjeira Petrich, a PDG writer, says it’s an opportunity to share educational coffee-related content with Brazil – something that could improve how the country interacts with the international coffee supply chain and other producing countries.

As PDG Brasil grows its reach and coverage, PDG Founder, Henry Wilson, is confident that it will positively improve the coffee supply chain – both in Brazil and in the coffee-producing world in general. He explains that as PDG brand gets more acquainted with Brazil’s world-leading coffee expertise, it can learn from the country – and vice versa.

Enjoyed this? Then catch up with PDG Brasil on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. 

Photo credits: Nicholas Yamada, Ivan Petrich

Perfect Daily Grind

Want to read more from PDG Brasil? Sign up for our newsletter!