In Brazil, specialty coffee is a burgeoning market, stimulated by product-related events, research and opening of specialized coffee shops. However, there is a paucity of public domain information and statistics about Brazilian specialty coffee consumers’ characteristics and buying behavior. Through a descriptive and quantitative research, based on 834 self-administered questionnaires analyzed through descriptive and multivariate statistics, this paper builds a general profile of the Brazilian specialty coffee consumer. Furthermore, it verifies the applicability of the ‘connoisseurship’ and ‘third wave’ concepts to the national market and identifies three distinct consumer groups – regular consumers, enthusiasts, and experts – that differ by their level of interest and engagement with specialty coffee, shown by their product acquisition criteria and consumption motivations. There were similarities between Brazilian connoisseurs and coffee professionals, here combined in the same cluster and named ‘experts’, which leads to important questions about the current context of the Brazilian specialty coffee market.

Purpose: Building on Guimarães et al. (2019) study and using the modeling of structural equations, the objective of this paper was to elaborate constructs whose variables would enable the characterization and distinction of individuals among these different groups of consumers and to provide insights into their transition between them.Design/methodology/approach: The constructs were validated by the average variance extracted adaptive (AVEADP) index. The transition between consumer groups is explained and encouraged by advances in their conceptual and perceptual knowledge. Thus, regular consumers should be addressed with messages aimed primarily for the social aspect of consumption; enthusiasts, by reinforcing simple to moderate aspects commonly used as product purchase criteria and experts, attracted by the emphasis on complex criteria related to specialty coffee's conceptual and perceptual knowledge, highlighting their influence on the beverage's sensory profile.Findings: Those results enabled a better understanding of these consumers and can guide the marketing strategies of different actors in this market.Originality/value: Important attempts to understand and characterize Brazilian specialty coffee consumers were conducted by Guimarães et al. (2019) and Ramírez-Correa et al. (2020). However, further studies are needed to differentiate different specialty coffee consumer groups and enhance the market applicability of those studies results. In addition, despite its importance, there is a paucity of public domain studies about the national consumption of specialty coffees, being the results of this work important for the wide dissemination of such information.

The coffee capsules consumption practice

Study aim: we aimed to outline the direct trade of specialty coffees’ global research and adoption, highlighting its contributions, limitations and theoretical and empirical gaps, providing insights for future studies.Method: integrative systematic review of selected academic materials from the Web of Knowledge, SciELO, Scopus, Science Direct and Scholar Google databases, as well as technical materials from the Specialty Coffee Association and the Perfect Daily Grind portals, which were analyzed using the qualitative and open grid categorical content analysis technique.Main results: we identified three categories of contributions associated with Direct Trade - "Relationship and Coordination", "Origin and Sustainability" and "Quality and Differentiation" and three categories of its limitations - "Conceptual and Regulatory", "Execution and Monitoring" and "Potential of Transformation and Accessibility". Despite its potential to contribute to the promotion of the sustainability of this market, Direct Trade is not the only solution to the many and complex challenges of the activity. Therefore, it should be adapted to local realities and be carefully adopted, preferably in conjunction with other initiatives aimed at opening different markets and reaching different consumer audiences.Relevance/originality: this is the first systematic review of the subject, required by the rapid growth of studies in the field, despite its currentness and only recent expansion of the debate.Theoretical/methodological contributions: we presented a new concept of Direct Trade, subdivided the practice into two perspectives - relational and transactional – and elaborated a framework for its realization.

An agrotechnological district (ATD) integrates sustainable agricultural practices and technologies, aiming to transform rural communities by stimulating socioeconomic development and addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Ingaí, a dairy-producing municipality in Minas Gerais, Brazil, stands to benefit from the implementation of an ATD. This study aimed to identify the opportunities and challenges for the implementation of an ATD in the municipality, considering its socioeconomic characteristics, the level of producers’ technological adoption, connectivity infrastructure, support networks, and rural and market management. The method was based on an exploratory case study, using semi-structured group interviews for data collection, conducted in March 2024, with agricultural stakeholders. As a result, key challenges emerged: limited connectivity infrastructure; ineffective property management; rural family succession problems; barriers in accessing credit; resistance to the adoption of technologies; and dependence on the local government. Opportunities included the strengthening of support networks among the agents of rural productive activity; the promotion of technology adoption by producers; and creating training and rural extension programs. The adoption of these initiatives can stimulate Ingaí’s economic and social development, generate multiplier effects in its region of influence, and serve as a model for other initiatives in the state of Minas Gerais, the main dairy hub in the country, and one of the primary drivers of Brazilian agribusiness.