The Brazilian baristas going from passion to profession

Brazil may be the world’s largest coffee producer, but the market for skilled baristas is relatively young compared to major consuming countries. Letícia Souza reports on how a burgeoning specialty coffee scene and the influence of prestigious international competitions are raising the bar for Brazilian coffee professionals to new heights

In 2024, it was the turn of Q-Grader Dionatan Almeida from Minas Gerais to win the World Cup Tasters Championship during the SCA Coffee Expo in Chicago, USA. 

The victory of these professionals confirmed Brazilʼs ability to create coffee talent at an international level. 

In addition, the accolades helped to break misguided perceptions that Brazil produces coffee in quantity to the detriment of quality. In fact, Boram Um used coffee grown by himself when he took home the World Barista Championship.