11 SÍTIO DA CHAPADA - Brazil 2022

Marcus was a well-known professional football player in the 80s and 90s and played for several clubs in Brazil’s first Division, such as Vasco da Gama.

At that time, he was married to Maria José Barros Junqueira, whose family was from Carmo de Minas and worked with coffee production. When his father-in-law died, Marcus decided to confront a new challenge: running a coffee farm.

Marcus took some time to study and learn everything he could about his new tasks and relied on consulting and help from agronomists. He thus perceived how harvesting coffee beans at the right moment directly affects the quality of the drink.

Wanting to learn more about the quality of local coffees, Marcus was one of the members of a pioneering movement that brought the interest of quality laboratories and coffee cuppers to the region, resulting in the current scenario in Carmo de Minas.

But life had destined a sad surprise for the coffee grower. In October 2013, while returning from São Paulo, his wife suffered a car accident. With the pain of loss, he almost abandoned the farm. However, with the help of his children, he decided to go ahead. Today he splits his time between the farm and his own social project to help the community – he works as a football coach for needly children and youths in Carmo de Minas.

About his plans for the next few years, Marcus is categorical:

“Chapada seeks to continue improving the quality of its coffees, as the market is increasingly competitive. So we must reinvent ourselves daily to be part of this select group of surprisingly special coffee producers!”