August 2, 2025 – (Qahwa World) – Luiza Mantiça Kreimeier, Technical Advisor at the Brazilian National Coffee Council (CNC), shared insights into one of Brazil’s most ambitious regenerative agriculture initiatives — the Café Produtor de Água program — during the 21st session of the Circular Economy Working Group, hosted by the Center for Circular Economy in Coffee (C4CEC) and the Coffee Guide Network.
Kreimeier’s presentation focused on how the program is helping to restore degraded land, protect water resources, and strengthen the resilience of coffee-growing regions across Brazil. Her session formed part of a broader panel on regenerative agriculture, which included field-based experiences from Kenya and Brazil.
The Café Produtor de Água initiative, whose name translates to “Water-Producing Coffee Farmer,” promotes practical environmental actions designed to revitalize watersheds and ensure long-term water availability for rural and urban areas alike. According to Kreimeier, the program also contributes to increased farmer income and climate resilience through integrated, land-based interventions.
Among the measures adopted within the program:
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Contour planting and terrace construction to improve water infiltration and reduce erosion
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Tree planting and reforestation of degraded areas, particularly along rivers and springs
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Fencing of water sources to protect recharge zones
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Planting green manure crops between coffee rows to increase organic matter
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Training of farmers and machinery operators on soil and water conservation
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Monitoring of rainfall and terrace water levels
One of the program’s distinguishing features is its Environmental Services Payment (PSA) model, which compensates farmers financially for adopting practices that generate ecological benefits — including improved water flow, biodiversity restoration, and reduced chemical inputs.
“This isn’t just about environmental protection,” Kreimeier said. “It’s about improving rural livelihoods through sustainability.”
In addition to environmental outcomes, the program includes infrastructure improvements like reshaping rural roads with elevated areas to slow runoff and prevent erosion. Farmers are also trained to use tools such as rain gauges and water-level markers to monitor seasonal changes and adapt their practices accordingly.
The program supports Brazil’s broader national strategy for circular economy and environmental resilience. Kreimeier noted that Brazil now produces 27 million tons of coffee husk waste annually, underscoring the urgent need for integrated waste reuse policies. Agriculture has been identified as a key priority sector under Brazil’s National Circular Economy Plan (PLANEC 2025–2034) and the National Circular Economy Strategy (ENEC).
In closing, she invited global partners to learn from and collaborate with the program, which she described as “a living laboratory for climate-smart coffee.”
Her contribution came alongside insights from Kenyan farmer David Waweru and ESG specialist Natalia Fernandes Carr of Cooxupé Cooperative, forming a multi-regional snapshot of regenerative practices that are being piloted — and scaled — across the Global South.
