Commercial-grade coffee beans, unroasted coffee beans and green coffee beans; the terms may differ, but they all mean exactly the same thing; a metaphorical blank canvas that can be tailored to forge unique flavour profiles by the buyer. Unroasted coffee beans can be procured directly from farmers and specialty importers and are typically purchased by specialty coffee shops, small-scale / micro independent roasters, and by leading coffee importers and traders.
Coffee importers and traders act as intermediaries between coffee-producing regions and a global coffee market. Their mission is to source the finest coffees from around the world and to ensure a consistent supply of the finest quality beans for roasters, retailers, and coffee lovers everywhere. Coffee importers and traders work very hard at establishing connections with coffee farmers and co-operatives in coffee-growing regions which supply high quality commercial coffee beans. The relationships they build can benefit both parties and can ensure fair-trade practices are followed by sourcing raw products ethically, which better supports farmers by paying them fair prices.
Importers of premium grade commercial coffee beans also play a vital role in quality control. They will assess beans for their aroma, flavour, body, and acidity to determine their suitability for the discerning palates of roasters and consumers alike. Once the unroasted coffee beans have been carefully selected, coffee importers then deal with the complex paperwork, customs regulations, and transportation of the beans. Such an undertaking demands experience of contemporary trading practices and the latest developments regarding customs regulations and practices.
With ever-changing consumer preferences, emerging new technologies, global supply and demand challenges, and new sustainability practices, the procurement of unroasted coffee beans gives producers the ability to adapt to, and anticipate, market demands, as well as identify new opportunities, leverage new innovations and formulate truly unique blends.
The ability to roast beans themselves allows buyers of commercial coffee beans to adjust roasting levels and have a greater level of control over the final coffee product. Unique flavour profiles can then be formulated, and because the bean can then be roasted practically anywhere in the world, this ensures ultimate freshness of the final product.
As the coffee industry continues its upward trajectory, the emergence of new innovative platforms play an increasingly crucial role in giving unroasted and specialty coffee suppliers an even greater level of support in the industry, empowering communication and forging new connections.
A vibrant and dynamic market for unroasted coffee beans ensures that coffee producers have the continued ability to create new products in order to carve out a niche in the highly competitive coffee market, ultimately providing customers with a distinctive coffee experience that they’ll want to purchase again and again.