Brazil's coffee boom poses huge challenges for farmers across the world

As coffee gets cheaper, Brazil finds ways to grow more for less

Rodrigo de Freitas Silva’s coffee farm in the heart of Brazil is flourishing, even during one of the worst price routs in decades.

Over the past dozen years, the 41-year-old has expanded his growing area to 220 hectares (544 acres) from 12.5 hectares, with yields doubling. His whole farm is mechanised, and 90 per cent is irrigated. Most important, even as coffee prices globally trade near the lowest in 13 years, Silva is profitable and expects to increase production with potentially higher yields on more land.

“I still have room to triple my coffee-planted area, only considering the farms I already have,”