Logistical issues are inevitable in the coffee industry. In the years since the Covid-19 pandemic, however, there have been a number of challenges in a significantly short space of time – and they show no signs of slowing down any time soon.

Shipping delays in particular have been a big concern for roasters. Coffee often takes weeks (if not months) to reach port, so any additional hold ups will risk a drop in cup score and freshness, not to mention increasing the chances of contamination or even damage.

In turn, roasters need to do all they can to safeguard coffee quality while in transit. Working with trusted suppliers is part of this, but investing in higher-quality green coffee packaging will also play a huge role.

Hanuman Jain, CEO of Ecotact, Alexander Rogers, technical director at AGC Commodity Store Ltd, and Hendra Taruli, director of green coffee at Opal Coffee, provide their insight on why packaging is so important.

You may also like our article on how long green coffee stays fresh for.

Why logistical issues are unavoidable in the coffee industry

As with most globally traded commodities, the price of coffee (or C price) constantly fluctuates. Speculation about market movements can hike prices, which adds another layer of unpredictability.

Alexander Rogers has been the technical director at AGC Commodity Store Ltd in Romford, UK for over 16 years, which specialises in warehousing green coffee, and is also a UK distributor of Ecotact green coffee packaging. He points out that the geographical distance between producing countries and majority-consuming markets will inevitably result in challenges.

On the more extreme end of the spectrum, he says unpredictable weather can cause problems.

“Anything you can think of will have an effect on transporting coffee thousands or even tens of miles,” he says. “For instance, monsoons in origin countries could delay plant growth or cause them to mature too quickly. Storms in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans can delay shipments or even damage boats.”

Most coffee is transported from producing countries to export markets via cargo ships, and often take weeks or even months to arrive at roasteries. Shipping delays, however, aren’t that uncommon, and are the result of a number of factors – including geopolitical tension, climate change, customs clearance, and new legislation.

Price volatility & political challenges continue to have impact

In the years since the pandemic, a number of interconnected logistical issues have affected the coffee industry. In addition to forced business closures during lockdown, roasters have grappled with shipping container shortages, frost in Brazil, and political challenges which have led to bottlenecks and supply chain issues.

War in Ukraine spiked food and energy costs in many countries in early 2022, while the Israel-Gaza war has resulted in significant shipping delays and reroutes after a series of attacks in the Red Sea – which accounts for about 15% of global trade.

“Along Suez Canal routes, there’s a shortage of 20-foot export containers,” Alexander says. “Exporters have to ship in 40-foot containers, which costs more money.”

According to its July 2024 market update, Maersk reported that most major shipping companies had diverted around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope to avoid the conflict, which inevitably increases shipping time by a few weeks.

“We had to pay additional insurance and extra fees,” he continues. “It also adds about two weeks onto shipping times.”

In addition to bottlenecks at ports in Ethiopia – which have reduced the availability of containers in other producing countries – the ongoing Red Sea crisis has disrupted shipping routes in East Asia, affecting major robusta producers like Vietnam and Indonesia in particular.

On top of rising demand and ongoing supply shortages, in May 2024, we saw robusta prices hit a 45-year high. More recently, arabica prices edged near a two-year high, too.

Hendra Taruli is the director of green coffee at Opal Coffee, an international green coffee trader headquartered in the US, Australia, and Indonesia, which is also a US Ecotact distributor.

“Volatile coffee prices are impacting cash flow for a lot of roasters,” he says. “They now have to pay a lot more, and they are already operating on razor-thin margins.”

How shipping delays impact green coffee

Roasters have to face many logistical challenges, but shipping delays in particular can be challenging to deal with.

“Traders have to sit on extra lots or have more coffees in their warehouse,” Hendra says. “You may book a container to arrive in two months, but it may not arrive until four months’ time.”

This can, of course, dramatically change a roaster’s offerings – meaning they have to adapt as quickly as they can. 

“Prepare for the best and expect the worst,” Alexander says. “You never know what can happen, but it’s all about preparation, and making sure that you have coffee when you need it.”

On top of this, roasters and traders need to make sure they protect coffee while in transit and storage – whether shipments are delayed or on time. Similar to roasted beans, green coffee is also sensitive to its environment, including factors such as:

• Sunlight
• Moisture levels
• Oxygen
• High or low temperatures

Prolonged and uncontrolled exposure to these conditions can degrade flavour and aroma, and even cause quality to drop. If cup score slips during transit, roasters won’t receive the quality they paid for – causing its own set of issues. And the longer that shipments take to reach their destination, the greater the risk of losing quality and freshness becomes.

Hanuman Jain is the CEO of Ecotact, a green coffee packaging manufacturer and supplier. He says that as roasters and traders grapple with logistical challenges, more and more of them have started to prioritise the packaging they use.

“With rising costs and an increase in transit time, people are willing to spend more money on green coffee packaging,” he explains. “Roasters are preparing to stock up on coffees for a longer duration, and they need that coffee to stay fresh.”

Green coffee packaging has never been so important

Shipping delays have become more common in recent years, so roasters need to best prepare for them. As they have little control over what happens to their shipments before they receive them, a huge part of this is investing in better packaging to protect green coffee while it’s in transit and storage.

Hendra tells me he once received a shipment two months behind schedule, and noticed stark differences in flavour and quality compared to the pre-shipment sample, so proper storage and high-quality packaging are necessary to avoid these issues.

“With higher-point coffees especially, you want to retain the quality, whether in green or parchment form,” he adds. “Storing them in an Ecotact bag will help to retain freshness and the coffee’s inherent qualities.”

According to a study that evaluated the physical, chemical, and sensory qualities of arabica during storage in different types of packaging, hermetically sealed (or airtight) bags kept in controlled environmental conditions can preserve freshness and quality for up to 12 months.

“Ecotact bags have nine layers of hermetic packaging, so the water vapour transmission rate and oxygen transfer rates are close to zero, which helps to protect green coffee from oxidation and moisture,” Hanuman tells me. 

Alexander also recalls a time when a damaged shipping container arrived at AGC Commodity Store Ltd and all the coffee bags had moulded, except for those in Ecotact packaging.

“The client tested the coffee and found no damage, and they said the coffee tasted the same as the pre-shipment sample” he says.

What about packaging and storage at origin?

High-quality green coffee packaging and proper storage are essential during transit, but the same is also needed before export to maintain quality and flavour.

Hendra stresses the importance of letting coffee cool after it’s milled before storing it in bags, saying: “The cup score can fall by two points because it’s essentially pre-cooked. Moreover, if coffee is then stored in a warm environment for weeks or months at a time, it can negatively affect quality, freshness, and flavour.”

With this in mind, transparent communication along the supply chain about proper storage conditions and the importance of excellent packaging is absolutely essential. 

Hanuman explains that Ecotact also offers solutions like Farmer D’lite, which can be used to store coffee during processing to minimise exposure to oxygen and moisture.

“It’s a more affordable packaging option for producers and has resealable ties so it can be reused multiple times,” he tells me.

How can green coffee packaging help better navigate delays?

While coffee is in transit and stored in export countries, roasters have little control over their shipments. Investing in high-quality packaging is one of the few ways that they can safeguard freshness and flavour, and receive the level of quality they paid for.

Hendra highlights how excellent packaging can protect green coffee during storage at origin, port delays, and transit disruptions, saying: “Ecotact‘s barrier protection maintains freshness for eight to 12 months without causing issues.”

Alexander agrees, telling me: “High-quality packaging like Ecotact will provide full protection from external moisture, odours, and contaminants. It reassures roasters and traders that their coffee will stay fresh as it sits in our warehouse.”

Considering different types of packaging

Just like for roasted coffee, there are several packaging options for green coffee, and each type will suit different needs.

In the US in particular, Hanuman says more and more roasters are investing in small sample packaging which ranges from five to 15kg lots.

“Ecotact’s PentaPak is suitable for smaller-sized shipments,” he explains. “Its five-panel protection and pentagon design make it convenient to reuse, and provide protection from high temperatures and contaminants.”

For larger-sized shipments, producers and traders can use Ecotact’s Ship Shield hermetic container liners, which can be vacuum-sealed or nitrogen-flushed in under 15 minutes.

Hanuman also highlights how this can improve sustainability efforts along the supply chain.

“Switching to Ship Shield instead of single bags can save close to 27kg of plastic,” he tells me. “Our container liners are reusable as well, so they can be sent back to origin in pallet loads.”

As roasters continue to grapple with a number of logistical challenges, high-quality green coffee packaging has become even more of a priority.

When it comes to shipping delays especially, roasters need to do all they can to safeguard cup score, freshness, and flavour – and excellent packaging is one of the few ways they can do this.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how green coffee can become contaminated and how to prevent it.

Photo credits: Ecotact

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