Specialty coffee needs to find new ways to assess quality
For decades now, the Specialty Coffee Association’s 100-point scoring system has been the most popular method to evaluate cup profile and overall coffee quality. The...
Green Coffee Buying
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Recent Articles
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November 18, 2025
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 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
Why roasters should diversify their coffee offerings
For many coffee consumers, it’s incredibly important to have a range of origins to choose from. Each producing country has its own distinct terroir, which...
Analysing green & roasted coffee: What roasters need to know
Throughout the entire supply chain, maintaining coffee quality is absolutely essential. One of the most widely used methods is green coffee grading, where coffee beans...
Changing how we assess coffee quality can help both producers and roasters
Assessing coffee quality is an absolutely essential step in the supply chain. Without standardised measures of grading and scoring coffee, industry professionals would struggle to...
How much do competition coffees cost?
Since its inception in 2000, the World Barista Championship has showcased some of the most exclusive and high-end coffees in the world. Along with other...
How do specialty coffee roasters buy rare lots at auction?
Every year, there are plenty of green coffee auctions that take place in the specialty coffee industry. Whether in-person or virtual, these platforms provide producers...
How has technology helped to democratise green coffee trading?
Over the past century, the coffee industry has evolved in a number of different ways. From the increasing reliance on technology to a growing emphasis...
Relationships are about more than just paying a good price for specialty coffee
There are many actors involved in the coffee supply chain. From producers to traders to roasters to baristas, every industry professional adds value to the...
Does coffee taste different as you get older?
There are many variables which influence how we perceive flavours in coffee, including brew temperature, water quality, and even altitude. However, we also know that...
How does foreign exchange affect the price of coffee?
For the most part, both the price of arabica and robusta rely on futures contracts. These are legal agreements to buy or sell a particular...
How do increases in the price of coffee affect co-operatives?
From early 2021 through until mid-2022, coffee prices increased steadily – with arabica futures reaching a ten-year high of US 258.95 cents/lb in February 2022. ...
Are blends becoming more popular in specialty coffee?
Across the world of specialty coffee, there is undeniably a growing focus on sourcing high-quality, sustainable, and traceable coffees. A large part of this revolves...
Coffee job roles: What is a green coffee buyer?
There are a number of roles in the industry that involve sourcing green coffee beans for a company. At a roaster, for example, the head...
How can roasters control quality when sourcing coffee?
Quality is rightly a growing priority for coffee drinkers around the world, and consequently for coffee roasters. It’s a key differentiator in the coffee sector,...
Why are coffee farmers being sued over defaults on contracts?
Contracts are essential for building long-term sustainable relationships in the coffee industry. By using them, those who both buy and sell coffee can achieve stability...
Navigating the coffee supply chain through Covid-19
Since early 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed almost every industry around the world, and the coffee sector has not been an exception. Now, more...