We are driving on a gravel road in Caconde, on the border between the states of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais. Around us are lush green trees and flowers in purple and sky blue. Butterflies flit in and out of the rainforest over the rust-red dirt road. A beautiful scene we would have loved to admire, if it weren't for the fact that we have to focus completely on what might be one of Brazil's bumpiest roads: Around every bend, there's a rock or a hole we have to avoid.

However, the small rental car handles the hardships surprisingly well, and we have no plans to give up. Because at the top of the "bumpy road" lies the coffee farm Fazenda Boa Vista do Engano. Here, Roberta Bazilli produces specialty coffee that is highly acclaimed.

Upon arrival, the view alone is worth every bump in the road. From the charming white-painted farmstead, there's a 360-degree view of rolling hills with coffee bushes, framed by dense Atlantic rainforest. A local legend says that the spirit of Roberta's great-grandfather still watches over the area, and it's not hard to feel a little superstitious in this setting.

Today, however, the house is used as a coffee roastery. Roberta also has a small coffee shop and a setup for coffee tasting here. This woman is not a typical coffee farmer, you see. In addition to producing quality coffee, the farmer is a certified Q-grader (one of the few female farmers in Brazil) and a trained coffee roaster. She also holds courses on the farm. It's convenient that the commute to work is short; Roberta and her son live alone in a newly built house a little further up the mountainside.

-I am a fifth-generation coffee farmer, so coffee is simply part of my DNA, Roberta comments. But she admits that at one point, she was about to choose a different path.

-When I finished my degree in hospitality management at university, I actually wanted to establish a hotel here to welcome tourists. My father, however, insisted that I focus on coffee and instead add value to what we already had. That's when I decided to study specialty coffee. It didn't take long before I fell in love with this incredible world of beans! Since 2005, I have been handling the production, processing, roasting, and marketing of specialty coffee, she says. This means that a large part of her life revolves around coffee:

-I divide my time between being Theo's mom and a coffee producer. Those are the two greatest passions in my life! And continuing the family tradition has proven to be a very rewarding mission.

Roberta says that she gets great satisfaction from seeing the scores of every coffee she produces: "It's about knowing that what I'm doing works and that I'm on the right track! There's a lot of positivity in these scores, and I'm proud to produce a coffee with a taste I want more of! My coffee is full of history, dedication, and love! And I believe people notice all of this in the cup!" she says.

The high scores are probably also one of the reasons
why Roberta's coffee has twice been chosen to be served to popes on official visits to Brazil.

But coffee production is not entirely without challenges. As in Europe, finding labor during busy periods is not always easy - "The absolute biggest challenge I have is getting enough labor. Every year, there are fewer available!"

She hopes more consumers will choose to set aside a few extra kroner to buy specialty coffee.

"If they do, they get a coffee that is full of antioxidants that provide many health benefits. And behind that special cup of coffee are many years of dedication, history, love, and care. For me, it is also essential to protect the environment. Here on the property, we have already neutralized carbon emissions and are at zero! Our commitment to sustainability and nature has always been and will always be one of our cornerstones," she points out.

The coffee farmer states that, for example, she has managed entirely without herbicides for several years.

-We have an agronomist who supports us all year round, and that is a very important measure. I can't be entirely organic, but I haven't used herbicides for 3 years! I do all weed control by hand. It's more expensive, but I think it pays off if we consider health and quality!
Our fertilizer is made with organic minerals, and I also use all the coffee husks in the field!

Asked if it is challenging to be a woman in a male-dominated profession in Brazil, she honestly answers that this has always been a challenge

-But it has never bothered me! I am not a woman who raises the feminist flag, but I simply believe that I conquer my space through the well-executed and meticulous work I do!

In the future, Roberta hopes to export more coffee to
Norway!

-And I would love to visit the country in the near
future!