There is no such thing as business as usual in Ethiopia. Every season has its unique set of challenges, but this year has been a little crazier than usual, even before Covid-19 hit. At the beginning of the season cherry prices were almost double those of last year. Then in Read more…
In this final post in the series “What does a green buyer do?” Alex explains the risks and benefits of buying on FOB terms.
Someone once told me, you have to babysit your coffee. Follow it everywhere it goes and make sure that it has what it needs to get out the door, so that is my main goal in this part of the season. Of course, every other buyer is doing the same, so Ethiopia is absolutely buzzing with anxious coffee professionals trying to be at the front of the line at each point in the process.
There are many steps to making a purchase decision and flavour is just the beginning. The value chain has many checkpoints and several things can happen along the way. We’re dealing with a fresh moving product after all. It is crucial I understand what a sample represents, and how much of a commitment I must make to secure the lot.
Ethiopian coffees are renowned for needing some time to open up. One of the key skills a coffee buyer must hone is cupping fresh coffees. Buyers need to be able to taste beyond the astringency and muted flavours, to the coffee it will become.
Part 3 in a series first published on our Tropiq blog: What does a green coffee buyer do?
Reporting from origin means taking copious notes to capture both the technical details, and the emotions that run high when meeting the people who produce these coffees.
Part 2 in a series first published on our Tropiq blog: What does a green coffee buyer do?
Many coffee professionals hear a coffee buyer talk about travel to exotic countries, and dream of doing the same one day. It is a fantastic job and I feel so privileged to be able to do this work, but there are many misconceptions about the life of a green coffee buyer.
Part 1 in a series first published on our Tropiq blog: What does a green coffee buyer do?
I have been asked several times why the prices of Kenyan coffees differ so much even though the lots might come from the same station. More specifically, I have been asked to explain why Karimikui AB #170 can be more expensive than Karimikui AA #062 seeing that AA is a Read more…
Frederik, the manager of the Rungeto cooperative, has a unique approach. This may be due to his years of practical coffee experience managing Karimikui and Kiangoi washing stations. Firstly he views coffee as part of the broader agricultural potential of the region. He encourages coffee farmers to also raise cows, Read more…
I once tasted a Kenyan coffee that I swear wasn’t coffee at all, it was a cup of blackcurrant juice. It is the classic Kenyan profile so many of us seek, and it is disappearing. Coffee Berry Disease When I visited Kenya last November, things looked grim for producers. They Read more…