#032 - Bridging Dutch Agritech and Brazilian Fields

Over the past 32 weeks, it has been rewarding to shed light on this complex and impactful global supply chain. Our goal remains clear: to highlight tangible opportunities for capital, technology, and talent across the sector.

Through our experience, we’ve seen firsthand that coffee producers and roasters are often consumed by the intense daily demands of their craft. While we discuss the supply chain’s pain points, our focus is increasingly shifting toward practical solutions. We aim to act as a catalyst, connecting producers directly with markets while solving real-world operational challenges.

To accelerate this mission, our families are relocating to Europe in the coming weeks. Our goal is to dive deep into the world-class Dutch agritech ecosystem and serve as a direct bridge into the Brazilian market.

Because of our direct relationships with producers on the ground, we can introduce new tools where they are needed most. We believe that recurring, long-term partnerships are the key to testing new hypotheses rapidly, creating shared value, and bringing transparency to opaque supply chains.

To illustrate the potential for European technology providers looking at Brazil:

• Massive Scale: Brazil’s harvested crop area alone (~90 million hectares) is larger than the total landmass of France and Germany combined. Its total agricultural footprint (including sustainable pasture and crops) spans over 280 million hectares—equivalent to roughly two-thirds of the entire European Union’s total land area.

• Smallholder Impact: Coffee production spans over 2.2 million hectares across 254,000+ farms. Nearly 80% are family-owned operations that lack direct access to capital, advanced hardware, and international markets. Specialty crops like cocoa, nuts, berries, and spices share this profile.

• Economic Pillar: Agribusiness accounts for approximately 25% of Brazil’s GDP and supports over 27 million direct and indirect jobs across inputs, processing, machinery, transport, and trade—a unique level of supply chain depth under a single legal framework.

• Unlocking Irrigation: Brazil currently irrigates under 15% of its crop area (~8.5 million hectares), despite having an estimated 30+ million hectares suitable for sustainable irrigation expansion.

Why This Matters for Dutch Agritech?

As climate volatility increases, Brazilian producers and cooperatives urgently need Dutch micro-irrigation software, moisture-sensing hardware, and precision water management tools. Meiero acts as the direct pipeline to deploy these solutions on the ground and integrate them seamlessly into the local ecosystem.

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Weekly Highlights:

• Coffee Futures KC Price in NY: -3.41% weekly, closing at 310.35 cents/lb.

• Coffee Price in Brazil’s B3 in USD: -1.31% weekly, closing at 375.50 USD per 60kg bag (Sep ‘26 contract).

• BRL/USD fx rate: +0.61% weekly (BRL strengthened from 5.115 to 5.084 BRL/USD).

• Proxy of 20’ container freight prices from Santos to Rotterdam: down ~1.8% weekly.

• USDA Forecasts Record Global Coffee Output: The U.S. Department of Agriculture projected 2026/27 global production to reach a record 189.7 million 60-kg bags alongside record global consumption of 179.7 million bags.

• Cooxupé Harvest Pace Lags Prior Cycle: Cooxupé reported harvest progress reached 47.3% by July 17, up 16.4 percentage points in a week but behind the 68.4% pace recorded at the same stage in 2025 due to early-season rain delays.

• Cecafé Releases Full 2025/26 Export Totals: Cecafé data confirmed Brazil exported 38.46 million bags in the 2025/26 crop year (ending June 2026), a 15.7% drop year-over-year caused by port logistical bottlenecks and lower starting inventories.

• Colombian Origin Selling Triggers Market Reversal: Aggressive origin selling out of Colombia triggered profit-taking on ICE futures, reversing sharp intraday gains as exporters pushed mid-crop supplies to market.

• Brazilian Government Finalizes 2026/27 Ag Credit Rules: The National Monetary Council (CMN) issued updated guidelines for the 2026/27 Plano Safra, allocating dedicated funds for precision irrigation and sustainable technology adoption among smallholders.

• EUDR Compliance Testing Enters Final Stage: European coffee roasters and trade associations initiated full-scale system testing to ensure compliance with upcoming EU Deforestation Regulation traceabilities ahead of deadlines.

• Nestlé Reports H1 2026 Beverage Category Resiliency: Nestlé published its mid-year financial update, noting positive organic growth across its coffee portfolio driven by premium Nespresso and Nescafé lines despite raw material cost pressures.

• Starbucks Operational Overhaul Focuses on Peak Hours: Starbucks announced new store-level workflow automation and simplified beverage prep routines to address morning rush congestion and improve throughput in North America.

• Ready-To-Drink (RTD) & Cold Brew Demand Spikes in Europe: Mid-July retail data across major European markets indicated summer ready-to-drink coffee sales rose ~12% year-over-year, driven by convenience and cold coffee preferences.

• Santos Port Container Congestion Eases: Container availability and loading queue times at Santos port showed slight improvement as seasonal peak grain shipments subsided, easing ocean freight pressure to Rotterdam.