WHY ARE COFFEE LOGISTICS SO SLOW?

It's a question we get a lot, especially when we have popular coffees such as Ethiopia or Kenya coming in. Although the logistical process is not difficult per se, it involves so many steps that this, make it complicated. Therefore, it requires proper planning and coordination. At each of these steps there is a risk for quality of the coffee to be affected if anything goes slightly wrong. As we know, the quality of coffee is determined by the quality of the harvest, i.e., how ripe the cherry is when it is removed from the coffee tree. This is the maximum point of quality in the production chain, after that, everything is deterioration, or at best, maintenance.

​The task of getting your coffee from the plant to your roastery is what we call coffee logistics. It is a process that consists of three main stages: production, preparation and export/distribution. Each of these stages contains a series of sub-stages or tasks that are carried out by a large number of people and/or machinery. It is also important to note that a number of customs, legal and sanitary rules and regulations must be complied with. Furthermore, in our role as importers or buyers of green coffee, we must ensure that the highest quality standards are met at each of these stages.

​The transformation of the cherry into dry parchment (with a moisture content of 10-11%) is called the production process. It contains a series of steps that are under the control of the coffee grower, cooperative or producer. Our intervention at this stage is mostly observation, understanding and pre-selection. It is very important to verify at origin that the production process is carried out properly, and that the washing or drying station has the infrastructure, organisation and knowledge necessary to produce high quality coffees.
 
The second stage is called preparation. When the producer has already milled, cleaned, sorted by size and gravity, selected by colour or by hand for defects, the coffee will be packed in 60 kg bags, usually depending on the origin and the conditions of the contract. When ready for export, pre-shipment samples are sent to us to verify that the quality of the selected coffee is consistent with the quality of the coffee to be exported. All these quality assurance and verification steps delay the process, but are absolutely necessary for the proper functioning of the commercial relationship with the producer and roaster.

The last stage is called export/distribution. Importers are the link between the producer and the roaster and we must be able to establish a constant quality control scenario. Our coffee supply chain is a complex global network, with producers and roasters in multiple countries, where we must observe and comply with a wide range of regulations and standards. We work continuously to ensure quality and regulations compliance at all our coffee origins, focusing on hotspots identified through ongoing sustainability analyses.

Now that you know the coffee logistics process, appreciate and enjoy your coffee!