How to ensure direct trade in coffee makes commercial sense
Direct trade has long been regarded as the ethical choice, ensuring both quality and transparency. However, following a record high for global coffee prices in...
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Direct trade has long been regarded as the ethical choice, ensuring both quality and transparency. However, following a record high for global coffee prices in February 2025, what was once viewed primarily as a “social project” rapidly became an essential business strategy. Companies that have built their operations around intentionality, connectivity, and quality understand that these values aren't obstacles to profitability, but are the foundation of it. When executed successfully,… read more
Direct trade has long been regarded as the ethical choice, ensuring both quality and transparency. However, following a record high for global coffee prices in February 2025, what was once viewed primarily as a “social project” rapidly became an essential… read more
Direct trade has long been regarded as the ethical choice, ensuring both quality and transparency. However, following a record high for global coffee prices in...
The specialty coffee industry is grappling with a record-breaking year on the cost front. Green coffee prices hit an all-time high in February 2025 and...
Certifications are one of the most effective ways to communicate ethical, sustainable, and quality standards in the coffee industry. Consumers are often willing to pay...
The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) has dominated conversations within the global coffee industry for the past two years. The landmark legislation is one of...
In specialty coffee, direct trade has long been framed as the ethical choice for roasters to support producers while ensuring quality and transparency. However, following...
As the C price remains volatile, reaching record highs earlier this year and recently settling below US $3/lb, commercial-grade coffee has taken a significant hit....
The global coffee industry is navigating an extended period of high market prices. Over the last two years, green coffee costs have almost doubled, reaching...
Surprisingly, not all coffee exporters and producers are rushing to do business in a market of high prices. The C price has been rising over...
Market volatility has always been a defining factor in the coffee industry, but sustained high green coffee prices and US tariffs have ushered in a...
The term “direct trade” is synonymous with specialty coffee. Established as a way to “do things differently” in an industry dominated by multinationals, it’s founded...
With an ever-increasing demand for transparency from conscious consumers, sustainability reporting is becoming more prominent in the coffee industry. This pressure comes not only from...
Quality is an integral part of specialty coffee. The SCA’s 100-point scale has been the industry standard for 24 years, allowing Q graders to assign...
Coffee pricing is complicated. There are many factors that influence how coffee is sold, including supply and demand, quality, weather conditions, and geopolitical events. Quality...
Specialty coffee denotes a score of 80 or more points on the Specialty Coffee Association scale, with various grades indicating different levels of quality. For...
The concept of “direct trade” has become synonymous with specialty coffee. Often used in marketing to show that brands care about sustainability, many roasters and...
Specialty coffee’s proclivity for micro lots is well known. As single origin coffees gained prominence in the industry, ensuring traceability and highlighting unique characteristics became...