Brazil Santos NY 2/3 17/18 GC - unroasted coffee beans - 1 kilo

Most Brazilian coffee is grown on huge farms, built and equipped for mechanical harvesting and processing, which maximises productivity. The relatively flat landscape in many of Brazil's coffee-growing regions, combined with high minimum wages, has led most farms to opt for this type of mechanical harvesting rather than selective handpicking.

In the past, this mechanisation meant that strip cropping was the norm; however, today's mechanical harvesters are increasingly sensitive, meaning that farms can only harvest fully ripe berries at each picking, which is good news for producers who focus on specialty products.

In many cases and on less level parts of farms, a mixed form of 'manual mechanised' harvesting can be used, whereby ripe coffee is picked with a derricadeira - a type of mechanised rake that uses vibration to harvest ripe berries. A tarpaulin is stretched between the coffee trees to catch the berries as they fall.

Using these newer, more selective technologies, there is a growing number of farms that care about - and are able to deliver - quality cups.

After harvesting, the cherry is usually laid out in thin layers on patios to dry. Under direct sunlight, the berry is carefully inspected and turned regularly