The project aims to improve the chances of education and working opportunities in the coffee industry, maintaining a social engagement, thanks to the involvement of partners such as Fazenda da Esperanza who sustains the education and rehab programs of young drug and alcohol addicts.
Pedregulho, meso-region of Ribeirão Preto, is the frame of the first days of the Campus, which take place in the vast plantations of O'Coffee. This latter is a huge company that, despite the large amount of coffee produced, is able to ensure high product quality, thanks to constant innovation and research. The technology of the company caused great interest: an automatic picker is used for cherry harvesting, replacing so the work of 150 workers, picking cherries 24/7. This machine, due to its size, is used only in Brazil, and only in plantations allowing it.
Flowering of the plant, growth, life, chemical elements necessary for a good cup profile, irrigation system, pruning, fertilizing, digital mapping of the plants, and “sweeping coffee” were some of the topics discussed. “Sweeping” is the collection of the coffee beans fallen during the season. It takes place after two months of the end of the collection and the coffee deriving from it will be sold on the domestic market.