Founded in 1887, Fazenda Rio Verde is one of the oldest and most iconic estates in the Ipanema Coffees portfolio. Located in the heart of the Mantiqueira de Minas mountains in Brazil, the farm has a long-standing reputation for innovation in sustainable coffee farming and quality-focused production. One particularly memorable chapter in its history took place between 1964 and 1992, when the farm operated a large-scale chicken manure programme. With 81 sheds housing 136,000 hens, the estate produced over 800,000 kilos of manure annually – enough to fertilise half of the coffee plantation each year. This was a pioneering example of circular agriculture, well ahead of its time.

Today, Fazenda Rio Verde is a model of environmental stewardship and precision agriculture. The estate spans 1,566 hectares, with 626 hectares dedicated to coffee, 167 to other crops, and 773 hectares preserved as native forest. This protected area is home to waterfalls, hiking trails, and 51 natural springs. The farm’s Environment Monitoring Centre (EMC), housed in a repurposed henhouse, tracks water, soil, vegetation, and climate data to ensure the long-term health of the ecosystem.

Coffee is cultivated at altitudes ranging from 900 to 1,330 metres above sea level, in clay-rich soils under a subtropical climate with dry winters and an average annual rainfall of 1,550 to 1,600 mm. These conditions create a unique microclimate that is ideal for producing high-quality Brazilian coffee, though they require careful adaptation of traditional farming methods.