It was certainly my choice. I studied to become a lawyer and then I studied to be a diplomat. So when I was invited to run the Brazilian Coffee Program for the Ministry of Agriculture, I gave up the diplomatic career. That\u2019s when I became involved in the international marketing of the promotional specialty coffees as well as all barista competitions in Brazil and all the exhibitions oversees. We were platinum sponsors of the BBC network and we organized a group of roasters to visit Britain\u2019s production regions. I also organized the very successful \u201cCup of excellence\u201d as well as visits from other farmers to learn about our roasters. As a lawyer, I was appointed at the international relations council for the Specialty Coffee Association of America and, then, I joined several international coffee committees. I think I was very lucky in my career, having the chance to be exposed to a lot of good things. So, from then on, there was no way I was going to leave that.<\/p>\n
So you\u2019ve been into coffee industry your whole life\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah! And the thing is I am also very curious. So, the production part was not enough. I wanted to learn more about roasting, so I went to America so I could learn to roast. Then, I became a Q grader. I didn\u2019t need to be a Q grader but I feel it is important for me because when I talk to my clients I need to know what I am talking about with all the proper arguments. Otherwise, it feels like rocket science. So we train in all aspects of the industry like how to be a barista and such. I also think it\u2019s important for us to open up doors to people. That\u2019s why I created the international training program. Because I think we always learn and if I am hosting the program then I am learning too. And people are also learning a different culture, a different way of doing things. And that is very important!<\/p>\n What would you say is the best part of working in coffee industry? \u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n I like everything! I love the marketing side of the business and I see how important this is for Coffee Island. It makes all the difference. You can be a very good farm, producing excellent coffee blends, but if you don\u2019t tell that story the right way, how can you succeed? You know, It\u2019s hard to find the gems, if they are not exposed to the light. So I think this is very important to us and for the coffee world.<\/p>\n What was your first impression when you first met people from Coffee Island? <\/strong><\/p>\n The first person I met was Alex and he was such a gentleman. We started talking and immediately connected. Then we visited a coffee shop with Konstantinos. From then on, we started discussing more and more and the relationship took off. Nowadays, after three years it\u2019s a very close relationship. Sometimes, I am doing something here (at the farm) that it\u2019s so nice for him to advertise. So we try to create this channel, we send picture and videos that they can use. Or maybe they need to post a picture on the papers from cherries so we try to make a difference and be a real coffee solution provider for our clients. I try to select the right people for the job. So I prefer to work with people that are reliable, that I trust. If you are not sure about selling to this person or not, something is wrong. I look and I \u201cstudy\u201d people a lot! I analyze the behavior because it has to be a win-win situation. We have to trust each other.<\/p>\n You made very clear at your speech that you focus a lot on the correct shipping process for your product. Why is this so important to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n We have to gradually test the seed so we start from the selection of the seed that we are going to blend. For example, now we are testing a specific seed which is too small. Maybe that seed will produce coffees but they won\u2019t be outstanding, they won\u2019t blend. We are looking for cup quality so we aim for excellent taste in every cup. It\u2019s not only a matter of having a good selection of seeds but having a variety that really behaves well in terms of profile. So, we control every part from blending and nutrients to dry harvesting. You have to make sure every step in well planned and executed. And we have to find people that have a good reputation because we have a limited production. Thirty thousand bags, it\u2019s not a huge amount. There are farms doing two hundred and fifty. We are still small compared to those people but we always think quality first and then try to find the right people to sell. I am not saying that Brazil only has giant farms. The farms are mainly small. We are the biggest farm in our region but not the biggest one in Brazil. We will always be devoted to quality over quantity.<\/p>\n What do you think about Greek Coffee Consumers?<\/strong><\/p>\n I am going to spend a week here so I am going to visit different coffee shops, try different styles of coffee. I want to know as many Coffee Island shops as I can. Atmosphere and good vibes are very important to connect. Equally important is having an event like this, showing numbers and showing how you work in comparison to the competitors. I was impressed to see that people were happy to be here today. It\u2019s important for them to show how successful they are. Sometimes you focus only on your sales but when you see the bigger picture that\u2019s when you really understand what is happening. it\u2019s really reflecting on you because the more shops you have the more exposed you are. And the more you sell the more \u201cvisible\u201d you become. To summarise, selling is a process, from selecting the franchisee to selecting a good barista. And If your customers feel comfortable, they will come back again and again.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>What\u2019s your favorite coffee? What would you like to have when you wake up?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>I usually wake up and prepare two cappuccinos. I turn the machine on, prepare two cups and hope nobody comes, so I don\u2019t have to share! Or, if I\u2019m in the mood, I prepare a V60 for myself, but all this at seven in the morning. At 7.30 am, somebody will always arrive at the office and start preparing a V60. But you should know, I love filter coffee much more than espresso. I like espresso, I drink maybe three espressos per day, no more than that. But after that, it\u2019s hot Chemex coffee, Hario, Aeropress\u2026I can drink all day long, so I have more than 10 coffees a day, never less. I think I need to increase my coffee consumption (laughs). With this amount of coffee, you\u2019d expect I\u2019d feel a bit \u201chyper\u201d, but I\u2019m actually used to it! I am also always cupping with visitors, not every day of course, but when I have visitors I am always cupping with them.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>What\u2019s next with Coffee Island? How do you foresee their future? <\/strong><\/p>\n I see a future of a global Coffee Island. I think it\u2019s fashionable, nice and elegant. A perfect fit in any country. Coffee Island gives out a good impression, so in the future I see them expanding and going global. I imagine them opening shops in other countries in Europe, in Korea and Japan. For sure, they have to adapt to the country they go to, the labor costs as well as the cost of the materials will be different. But they are doing a good job and it\u2019s efficient. What surprises me is that it\u2019s a young company filled with young people and that\u2019s nice, very nice. Young people have a vision and that\u2019s good because sometimes people get too old and stop paying attention. The stories are also very important. James Nass, one of the speakers in this seminar, quoted Umberto Eco in his speech by saying \u201cto survive you must tell stories\u201d. Let people know and motivate them. You have to have your own story and tell that story well. Even with this global economic crisis, businesses like Coffee Island can achieve a lot because of their quality. Coffee is something we need to have on a daily basis. We may not often eat out at a restaurant but we are going to have a cup of coffee no matter what. It\u2019s an affordable luxury. And that presents a good opportunity for us.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the most memorable moment you have from Greece? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n When I visited Greece the first time, I wanted to go to the Acropolis but we didn\u2019t have the time. So, we had dinner at a restaurant by the Acropolis and we were sitting at a roof top. But when I looked over to the side, the lights of the Acropolis went on and I literally\u2026 cried. It gave me such a good vibe, such a good feeling of the past, of the importance of history. Now they\u2019ve promised to take me there tomorrow!\u00a0 So, every time I am in Athens, I become very emotional at the view of Acropolis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We met Edgard soon after his finished his speech at Coffee Island\u2019s event and his cordial embrace, kissing us on both cheeks, reminded us of the warm, characteristic Brazilian welcome.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":609,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-partnerships"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"2\"](\"https:\/\/www.coffeeisland.com.cy\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/2.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"tumblr_inline_nwier4ojLU1t6x6eg_540\"](\"https:\/\/www.coffeeisland.com.cy\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/tumblr_inline_nwier4ojLU1t6x6eg_540-2.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n