Brazil's New Take On Kopi Luwak, Jacu Bird Coffee, Gains International Interest While Broader Specialty Coffee Sector Suffers – CoffeeTalk

Brazil’s coffee industry is currently facing significant challenges due to a 50% tariff imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Brazilian goods, amid political tensions with Brazil’s leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. This tariff has severely impacted Brazil’s premium coffee brands, as American consumers represented a substantial portion of their market. Nevertheless, amidst this downturn, a unique specialty coffee known as Jacu Bird coffee is thriving due to its appeal beyond traditional markets, particularly to consumers in Japan, the UK, and Brazil itself.

Jacu Bird coffee is produced from Arabica beans that are eaten and digested by the Jacu bird, a species native to Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. This distinctive process infuses the coffee with unique qualities, such as floral aroma and balanced acidity, which result from the beans’ absorptive properties and the digestible characteristics of the bird’s diet, including various fruits. Producer Henrique Sloper noted that American consumers do not share the same appreciation for this type of specialty coffee as do consumers in Asia and Europe, allowing this product to remain more resilient against the tariff’s effects.

Despite Jacu Bird coffee’s success, the broader specialty coffee sector in Brazil has suffered drastically. Reports indicate a nearly 70% decline in specialty coffee exports to the U.S. from Brazil in August, according to the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association. The president of Brazil’s coffee exporters group, Cecafe, highlighted that the sharp price premium associated with specialty coffees makes them more vulnerable to tariffs, exacerbating the decline.

While Jacu Bird coffee has expanded its geographical market and remains unaffected by the tariffs, other coffees produced at Fazenda Camocim, which constitute the majority of the farm’s production, are facing significant sales challenges. Sloper acknowledged the immediate negative impact of not being able to penetrate the U.S. market, which is the largest coffee market globally, but remains optimistic that this situation may compel diversification into other markets in the medium and long term.

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