Spot vs forward purchasing
This topic explains the difference between spot and forward purchasing in green coffee trade, their advantages and risks, and how buyers and producers use them to manage supply and pricing.
Direct trade
Incoterms and contract structures
This topic explains the basics of Incoterms (international commercial terms) and contract structures in green coffee trade, outlining how responsibilities, risks, and costs are divided between buyers and sellers.
Traceability and lot coding
This topic explains how traceability and lot coding work in coffee milling, why they are essential for quality assurance, and how they support transparency and trust in specialty markets.
Cup scoring and lot acceptance
This topic explains how cup scoring is used to evaluate coffee quality, the standards applied by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), and how scores determine whether lots are accepted or rejected in trade.
Premium vs commercial grade distinctions
This topic explains the distinctions between premium (specialty-grade) and commercial-grade coffee, focusing on physical standards, sensory outcomes, and market implications.
Lot building and grading
This topic explains how lots are built and graded in natural (dry) coffee processing, why these steps are critical for consistency, traceability, and market classification, and how they influence final value.