fazenda pinhal
Based in Minas Garia in Brazil, Fazenda Pinhal is a sixth generation family run coffee farm where we source our SOHO Signature House Coffee.
Pinhal is one of three farms owned by Pedro Gabarra Teixeira and his family, the total size of the connecting farms being 1288.5 hectares.
Only 446 hectares of their farms are planted with coffee, the rest of is dedicated to nature & the Brazilian eco-system, going above and beyond Brazil's law that states farmers should ensure at least 20% of their land is left to nature.
The wings project
The Wings Project is a Government ran project set up to protect the illegal smuggling of wildlife throughout Brazil. The Project is managed by Pedro's sister, Milu, who oversees the rehabilitation of the animals with the aim to quickly and safely return them to the wild.
The Project mainly focuses on birds, however they also take care of Possum, Tortoises, Raccoon, Zorro, Oncillas and Snakes.
As of August 2023, the project received and released 946 animals, and the family are working on a plan to verify the reintroduction's effectiveness of released birds on the farm.
environmental projects
Fazenda Pinhal are passionate about our planet, so they also undertake several commitments to the environment.
They have installed solar panels on the roofs of the production buildings to produce renewable energy, which has been one of the key elements to achieving a Carbon Positive Balance in 2022.
The farm also manages reforestation projects, where native species are planted on their land, and they work on re-nourishing de-graded soil.
It is required by Brazilian law to have a legal reserve of 20%. The farm meets and exceeds these requirements with additional preserve area of 25% which is made up of plants such as eucalyptus.
the farmers & workers
Fazenda Pinhal employs 70 permanent members of staff. The Pinhal farm understand the importance of looking after their team to ensure good health so workers have numerous programmes to take advantage of:
- Grocery Packages - the farm pre-pay for grocery tickets to make sure the workers are able to access food, guaranteed regularly.
- Health Plans - workers are given the opportunity for dental plans, as well as being covered with life insurance for true peace of mind.
- Investing in Sport - football is very popular in Brazil and amongst the Pinhal team so the farm contributes to a local football pitch fee so the workers can play and get active.
- Family Knowledge Share - workers families are invited twice a year to learn about coffee, plant trees and pick coffee amongst other activities that help them learn and grow in the coffee trade. It also gives their children the chance to be involved and feel really proud of the work their parents do.