The Specialty Coffee Association introduced the Green Coffee Buyers and Sellers Program at the Specialty Coffee Expo in Boston this year. The program described by the SCA Expo website, “is designed to facilitate the business relationships that have been the lifeblood of the event since its inception: the purchase and sale of the green coffee that fuels the specialty coffee industry.”
The SCA’s focus to strengthen these relationships was in direct response to feedback given from the 2020 SCA Expo attendees in New Orleans, where buyers and sellers expressed why in-person discussions were an invaluable part of developing sustainable trade relations, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has made these interactions very difficult to conduct.
The program sought to connect buyers and sellers through an online platform where both parties could create a profile to describe their coffee interests. If either party would like to connect, they were able to email the other party to schedule a brief meeting during the event. This program was free and open to all buyers and sellers to participate.
Power Dynamics Revealed
The Green Coffee Buyers and Sellers Program listed 162 individual coffee sellers while the number of buyers reached 99 individual profiles. Although most agricultural industries face similar disproportionality between sellers and buyers, the program helps reveal the continued reality of the power dynamics that exist within the coffee industry.
The SCA Expo Green Coffee Buyer and Seller program provides us with a reminder that specialty coffee buyers and sellers are working especially hard to find lasting relationships that create deeper connections and intentionality with their trading partners. The obstacles that remain with connecting buyers and sellers often include the breadth of choice and unfamiliarity.
Communication Platforms
Building communication platforms for both trading partners could help bring more efficiency to the process of discovery. For example, dating apps have changed how people connect and develop personal relationships. There should be little doubt to believe business and trade relationships will not soon flourish and develop in a similar fashion. Will we see buyers and sellers swiping left or right to select their most interested and well-suited business trading partner? Which origins, certifications, cup qualities, or additional attributes are you seeking to purchase or offer? When both a buyer and seller swipe right, only time will tell if it was meant to be.
The ElevaFinca Sellers Profile
ElevaFinca facilitates services at origin for both cooperative management and green coffee buyers. ElevaFinca works to fulfill requests for specific inventory needs, along with tailoring solutions for meeting social and environmental impact objectives. ElevaFinca is positioned in direct contact with an alliance of cooperatives to provide buyers with a wide range of offerings and reliable procurement services.
General Description of Green Coffee Selections
ElevaFinca specializes in full container lots, with a focus on 80-82, 83+, 84+, and 85-86 cup qualities. The alliance of cooperatives offer coffees from cooperatives that are actively participating in coffee agroforestry projects with ECOTIERRA. ElevaFinca works with cooperatives and producers to match importers and roasters with coffee offerings.
Profile Questions/Answers
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish, French
Country of Origin(s)
Peru (Cajamarca/Amazona/Cuzco)
Colombia (Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta)
Cup Qualities
Stocklot
80-82
83+
84+
85-86
Volume and Shipping Months
Full Container Load (FCL) back-to-back volume produced by the alliance of cooperatives
Shipping months range from June – Dec
Certifications
FTO, ORG, RFA, and Conventional lots
Additional Program Attributes
Harvest Capital
Micro Credit Loans
Carbon Credits
Coffee Agroforestry
Fair Trade
Organic
Our latest coffee offer is constantly updated here