If you’re wondering where baristas get the coffee for their signature drinks, you might want to learn more about the coffee buying process. For starters, you can buy both pre-roasted coffee and green coffee. It is often more profitable to deal with green coffee sourcing: since it is not processed, it is cheaper, so there are more farms selling their coffee. Purchasing coffee directly is quite difficult, so let’s look at who the key buyers are.
Coffee roasters are one of the main businesses responsible for purchasing coffee beans. They often work directly with coffee producers, importers or traders to source green coffee beans that meet their specific quality and taste requirements.
Importers and exporters serve as intermediaries in the coffee supply chain. They facilitate the movement of coffee beans between producing and consuming countries.
Coffee producers and farmers are responsible for growing and harvesting coffee beans. They are the original source of coffee beans and play a significant role in the sourcing process. Many coffee roasters and specialty coffee companies establish direct relationships with coffee producers to ensure quality and sustainability.
Coffee cooperatives and associations represent groups of coffee farmers. They can help streamline the procurement process by consolidating coffee production among several smallholder farmers. Cooperatives often work with roasters and exporters to jointly sell coffee. Individual coffee enthusiasts.
Some coffee enthusiasts, or people who are passionate about coffee and have the resources, may engage in direct purchasing of coffee beans for personal use or for small roasting operations. They can establish direct relationships with producers or purchase green beans from specialty coffee suppliers.
In general, coffee bean sourcing refers to the process of searching, selecting and acquiring coffee beans from various origins or suppliers to meet the needs of coffee roasters, retailers or consumers. This is an important step in the coffee production and supply chain, as the quality and characteristics of coffee beans can vary significantly depending on their origin, growing conditions and processing methods.