Eduardo Santos: Transforming Brazil’s Atlantic Forest Agriculture

Eduardo Santos represents the third generation of his family to farm the mountainous terrain of southern Minas Gerais, but his approach to agriculture marks a revolutionary departure from conventional practices. As the founder of Serra Verde Organics, he has transformed his family’s traditional farm into a pioneering organic operation that now works with a network of 28 family farms throughout Brazil’s Atlantic Forest region.

Education and Return to the Land

After growing up on his family’s conventional farm, Eduardo left to study agronomy at the University of São Paulo. His education introduced him to emerging concepts in sustainable agriculture and agroforestry that would later form the foundation of Serra Verde’s approach. While many of his classmates pursued careers with large agricultural corporations, Eduardo felt drawn back to his family land, but with a vision for transforming it.

“When I returned from university, our land was depleted from decades of conventional farming,” Eduardo explains. “The soil had lost its fertility, and we were increasingly dependent on expensive inputs. I saw an opportunity to apply what I had learned to restore not just the farm’s productivity, but its ecological balance.”

Pioneering Organic Transition

In 1986, against the advice of neighboring farmers and even some family members, Eduardo began transitioning the farm to organic practices. This was a bold move in an era when organic certification systems were still developing in Brazil and market demand was minimal.

The transition was challenging. For the first three years, yields declined as the soil began to recover from decades of chemical inputs. Eduardo used this time to experiment with companion planting, natural pest management, and water conservation techniques adapted to the unique conditions of the Atlantic Forest ecosystem.

“Those early years were a test of faith,” Eduardo recalls. “But gradually, we began to see the land respond. Native pollinators returned, soil health improved, and eventually our yields recovered—but now with a premium quality that conventional methods couldn’t match.”

Building a Regional Network

What began as a single family farm has evolved into a collaborative network of producers throughout the region. Eduardo recognized that building a viable organic brand would require consistent supply volumes and quality standards that a single farm couldn’t provide. Instead of expanding his own operation, he began working with neighboring family farms interested in transitioning to organic methods.

“I realized that our strength would be in community rather than competition,” Eduardo explains. “By bringing together multiple small producers, we could share knowledge, distribute risk, and have enough combined production to access larger markets.”

This model has proven particularly effective in preserving family farming traditions in the region. Many participating farms are now operated by second-generation organic farmers who have taken over from parents who first joined the network under Eduardo’s guidance.

Product Innovation

Under Eduardo’s leadership, Serra Verde has developed a diverse product portfolio that showcases the unique biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest region. Their product range includes organic preserves, honeys, and specialty coffees, with each product reflecting the distinctive terroir of their mountainous production region.

The company’s award-winning coffee program has gained particular recognition. Eduardo’s approach combines traditional harvesting techniques with modern processing methods to create distinctive micro-lots that have earned acclaim in specialty coffee markets globally.

“We’re not just selling products; we’re selling a connection to a place and an approach to agriculture,” says Eduardo. “Each jar of preserve or bag of coffee carries with it the story of this landscape and the families who care for it.”

Environmental Leadership

Beyond organic certification, Eduardo has pushed Serra Verde to embrace broader sustainability commitments. The company has been a pioneer in reforestation efforts within the Atlantic Forest biome, one of the world’s most threatened forest ecosystems. Under his guidance, participating farms have collectively restored over 500 hectares of degraded land to native forest, creating wildlife corridors that connect remaining forest fragments.

In 2018, Eduardo established the Serra Verde Institute, a non-profit organization that provides technical assistance to farmers transitioning to organic methods and conducts research on agroforestry systems adapted to the Atlantic Forest region. The Institute has become an important knowledge hub, hosting farmers, researchers, and students from across Brazil and internationally.

Market Expansion and Future Vision

While Serra Verde began selling locally through independent retailers in its home region, Eduardo has steadily expanded its market presence. The brand now has distribution in major Brazilian cities and has begun exporting to specialty food retailers in Portugal and Spain. Their organic coffee and fruit preserves have gained particular recognition for exceptional quality.

Looking to the future, Eduardo remains committed to balancing growth with the company’s core values. “Our approach has always been about quality over quantity, about depth of relationship rather than breadth of distribution,” he reflects. “As we grow, my priority is ensuring that we maintain these principles—that we continue to farm in ways that heal rather than extract, that build community rather than just commerce.”

Through his leadership, Eduardo has not only transformed his family’s agricultural legacy but has demonstrated a model for sustainable farming that respects Brazil’s unique ecological heritage while creating products that command premium recognition in global markets.