Luiz Roberto Saldanha has a degree in Agronomic Engineering, Business Administration, MBA in Production Management and Specialization in Corporate Coffee Culture. In 2010 he was elected Vice-President of the Specialty Coffees Association of Norte Pioneiro do Paraná (ACENPP) and, in 2012, he assumed the presidency of the institution. Under its management and in partnership with the other institutions participating in the project, in May 2012, the Norte Pioneiro do Paraná Region received the Registration of Geographical Indication of Origin with the INPI (National Institute of Trademarks and Patents), becoming, at the time, the third producing region in Brazil to receive it.

Luiz was an active member of the Technical Committee on Coffee Culture of the Federation of Agriculture of the State of Paraná (FAEP) between the years 2007 and 2014 and a member of the Sectorial Chamber of Coffee of the State of Paraná, having been elected sub-manager of the entity between the years 2011 and 2012. During the period, he assisted in the elaboration of projects for restructuring coffee production in Paraná together with the research and extension agencies of the State, in order to assist the development of public policies for the sector.

Managing Fazenda Califórnia, he was responsible for the implementation of the UTZ Certified (2007) and Rainforest Alliance (2011) social and environmental certification protocols, the first certified property in the State of Paraná, in both cases.​

Fascinated by the search for knowledge in the different production and post-harvest techniques of specialty coffees, since 2009, he has made technical visits to different producing countries such as: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama and Colombia. He also carried out technical collaboration work with renowned international specialists Aida Batlle, from El Salvador, and Lucia Solis, from the USA, validating different fermentation protocols and implementing good processing practices from the wine industry to Fazenda California.

As a cupper, he was a member of the national judges of the Cup of Excellence Competition (COE) in different editions and, in 2013, he was part of COE International Jury. In 2012 he was certified Q-Grader by the Coffee Quality Institute and is currently part of the training program for Assistant Instructors of the institution.​

With the adaptation of Fazenda California's production processes, and the search for continuous improvement, it won several awards in State and National quality contests, as well as the honor of being part of the select group of recognized properties with the seal of “Cup of Excellence”. Fazenda California was the first property in Paraná to win a COE title (2010) and the only one to repeat the feat (2015).

In 2018, Fazenda California is promoted by the Starbucks Reserve Program with their first ever Yeast Control Fermentation lot, and receives the partnership for the Social Program “Vozes de São Francisco” child chorus. On the other side of the world, the Taiwanese Coffee in Good Spirits Champion Chris So, competes in the WCE with Fazenda California Honey Moon lot. It’s this year This Side Up picks up the rising star and starts the natural connection with Luiz, finding out that they have a lot in common. 

Next year, in 2019, This Side Up starts to trial the special fermentation processes on the European market. Promising, as the Obatã Honey Moon wins the gold medal at the  Australian International Coffee Awards Single Origin Espresso that year. Luiz makes the presentation “Thinking Differently from Seed to Cup” at the Australian event Firestarter 2019 in Melbourne. At the farm, Fazenda California builds an on-site laboratory to start the studies and validation of production and use of microbiological agents in its production system.

In 2020 Luiz started a Specialization in Neuroscience and Behavior: “After all, the coffee chain is made up of people and, as fascinating as understanding the nuances present in each cup, is understanding the nuances of those behind them ...”. That same year, This Side Up’s Maarten visited Fazenda California to see the fields, the wet mill, the fermentation tanks and more. With so many pioneering techniques to be witnessed, any visit to Fazenda California feels too short. Whilst Maarten being there, Luiz graduates as a Coffee Expert in the Coffee Quality Institute program Q-Processing 3. In the field, the trials are now scaling for the use of microbial agents on pests and diseases management as for root system strengthening and nutrients recycling. 

In the early months of 2021, Fazenda California opened it’s on-site laboratory to research on microbial behavior and develop microbial “cocktails” to be inserted under the coffee trees. Next to soil microbial behavior, the laboratory is also the home of a PhD research on microbial behavior in the fermentation tank, and specifically, the changes of DNA composition when fermenting. Once again, Fazenda California is proving to be on the forefront of coffee science in general, and more so, science that can help farmers to develop regenerative agricultural systems. Luiz does not sit still and becomes a Coffee Quality Institute Q-Processing Instructor and a Q-Grader Assistant Instructor. Next to this, Fazenda California begins a honey project in its preservation areas. Time seems abundant, as Luiz and Flávia create next to all this an environmental education program called  “The Future is in Our Hands”, in partnership with the Environmental Institute of Paraná for school kids from Jacarezinho City.

The price you pay for Fazenda California natural Model 1 p/kg. We agreed on this price directly with the farmers, disregarding the volatile US Coffee C price.

Capricornio buys unsorted green beans (all grades) from farmers and pays them per 60 kg bag of coffee. Farmers can get a higher price for special processes.

Capricornio pays the same premium farm gate price per 60 Kg bag for the micro, nano lot coffee.

This coffee comes from Fazenda California. It includes the cost to produce cherries and also margin that farmer makes.

Capricornio incurs cost to sort all grades of green coffee purchased from the farmer into different lots under the specialty grade spectrum like single farmer lots, blends, nano/micro lots and competition lots. Other costs borne by Capricornio include dry milling, grain pro, small holder training fee and exporter charges for sorting, shipping the coffees to the Netherlands.
This includes the costs incurred as well as the projected margin Capricornio makes on these coffees.

International shipping from Santos, Brazil to Rotterdam, Netherlands. It is inclusive of customs, insurance and warehousing costs.

Average financing cost owed to (mostly social) lenders. This ensures immediate payment to the farmers when the coffee leaves the farm or port.

A standard TSU premium on all coffees designated exclusively to accelerate farmers’ own regenerative agriculture projects. Read about the work done by Capricornio on creating an integrated pest managemen

This Side Up compensation for spending time and resources importing this coffee. Our work includes year-round contact with producers, managing export, shipping, import, warehousing, grading, sampling, finding and keeping roasting partners for Capricornio. € 1,22 is This Side Up’s Model 1 markup. For a full overview of our modular margin construction, see the Trade Models page.

2019: Soon after our collaboration with Fazenda California begins, and in search of innovative agroecological practices to implement in the Fazenda California, Luiz and his team build an on-site laboratory to study the use of microbiological agents in its production system. The Obatã Honey Moon wins the Gold Medal at the Australian International Coffee Awards. And we include their competition lots on our offer.

2020: The on-site laboratory is a success. The use of microbial agents for pests and disease management, as well as for root systems and nutrient recycling, is scaled up. This same year, Luiz graduates as a Coffee Expert in the Coffee Quality Institute program Q-Processing 3.

2021: Fazenda California turns into an agroecological and agroforestry example in the area. Luiz and Flávia create a honey project in the estates’ preserved areas. The microbial project continues to evolve and a 4 years partnership with Federal University of Paraná to study the characterization of the microbiome of Norte Pioneiro do Paraná and its impacts in coffee quality starts. At the same time, Luiz and Flávia create an environmental education program called “The Future is in Our Hands”, in partnership with the Environmental Institute of Paraná for school kids from Jacarezinho City.

2022: Luiz travels to the Producer Crossover in Milan, where he shares the outputs of the microbial project, meets with roasters, and shares his vision. Our relationship gets stronger and we celebrate when he is elected as the first-ever farmer to become a board member in the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association).

2023: The This Side Up team visits Fazenda California, and see the microbial lab in its finished and operational state. The scalability and scientific approach to stimulate local microbial growth that improve the plant and soil health are amazing to witness. Later in the year, Flávia Rodrigues wins 1st place in the women in agriculture "Mulheres do Agro 2023" award.