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The story of the couple Keyti Kety Souza and Jorge Souza, coffee growers from the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve, is an example of ventures that were born during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was in this scenario that they decided to invest in something new for them: planting coffee in an extractive area.
Even without prior experience, the couple counted on technical support from the Government of Acre to recover degraded spaces within the reserve. The result was the birth of special coffee ““, an Amazonian Robusta type bean that carries the identity and aroma of the Acre forest.
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“I had never seen a coffee farm, I didn’t even know what it was like. Seu Vanderlei de Lara welcomed us, together with his family, he guided us in that first moment, how to manage this seedling. In January 2021, we planted the first coffee seedlings here in the Reserve. I really wanted the name of our coffee to carry a little of our identity and to carry a little of the weight of our environmental and social responsibility, so Raízes da Floresta was born”, said Keyti.
Keyti Kety Souza and Jorge Souza are owners of the coffee brand Raízes da Floresta/Photo: Alice Leão/Secom
What started as a family need quickly grew to scale. The coffee was taken to major exhibitions, such as the International Coffee Week in Belo Horizonte (MG), and crossed borders, reaching markets such as Italy.
In addition to its commercial success, the project has a strong local social impact. Jorge highlights that they are the first producers in Acre accredited to supply coffee for school meals, an initiative promoted by the State Department of Agriculture (Seagri).
For producers, coffee is more than a product: it is a legacy of respect for nature and connection with the region’s roots.
