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Blog: The Source
Your gateway to all things green coffee buying, selling, and coffee markets. Education, real stories, and market updates to help roasters and producers build true direct trade relationships.
Your gateway to all things green coffee buying, selling, and coffee markets. Education, real stories, and market updates to help roasters and producers build true direct trade relationships.
How do coffee producers really sell their beans and what stands in the way of fair prices? From learning to price and market their own lots to surviving climate shocks and challenging the rules of global trade, Brazilian producers show what it really takes to “go direct.” Featuring insights from the Filter Stories podcast, this post unpacks the real business behind beautiful coffee, and why relationships, not just quality, drive sustainability.
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From a buzzing booth to bold conversations on finance and accountability, producers and roasters came together not just to taste coffee, but to rewrite the rules of how it’s sourced. This post brings you the standout stories: a roaster’s call for real commitment, a producer’s fight for fair credit, and the quiet power of transparent conversations that actually change things.
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Whether you're sourcing green coffee, showcasing your harvest, or just soaking in the energy, SCA Expo 2025 is the place to be.
This guide breaks down everything you need to plan your schedule, taste the right coffees, hit impactful lectures, and build meaningful relationships across the supply chain—especially if you're a roaster or producer. Don’t just attend: make it count.
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When we landed for PRF Honduras 2025 (Producer Roaster Forum), we expected to talk about climate change and the C market. We got way more than that. Between warehouse visits, bank-controlled coffee, and CEO-level farmers, one thing became clear: origin is where the action is. Here’s a recap of what we saw, heard, and learned—or at least what can be shared in public…
Want to reduce the roastery’s environmental impact? Algrano now calculates the CO2 emissions of each coffee at checkout. Here, you’ll learn where your biggest impact lies, and what options you have to reduce or offset emissions.
The next few months are going to be key in figuring out if coffee prices stay high and just how tight supply will be. For now, green buyers might need to prepare for more price swings. Waiting it out is getting riskier, so a lot of roasters are already raising their own prices.
Struggling to find a volume coffee from Brazil that fits your budget? You’re not the only one. Learn about how coffee is graded in this origin and discover what options you have to source a good lot at a price that works for you and the producer.
Discover the behind-the-scenes of coffee export and import, learn the lingo of contracts, nail quality protocols, and hear directly from producers about direct trade — all in our two-day workshop in Zurich.
Get insights from industry leaders, sourcing guides, and harvest updates sent straight into your inbox.
Your 18-month guide to shipments and arrivals, helping you plan ahead and enjoy the unique benefits of working directly with producers.
Producers are getting more business and premiums, while new roasters are sourcing more coffee than ever with confidence. Learn about Algrano’s impact, pre-financing, data sharing with producers, and what's beyond relationship coffee.
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Venkids Valley Estate is one of the new producers onboarded by Algrano. Learn how farmer Pavan Nanjappa prepared for his debut in our marketplace and taste his fine robusta, now available to order in small volumes. This is an opportunity for roasters to try one of today’s big coffee trends, which is likely here to stay.
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The report highlights the stabilising effect of long-term relationships on coffee supply and prices with more than 60% of surveyed coffee roasters and producers wanting to invest more in direct trade practices in 2022.
Cafesmo, in Ocotepeque, hosted an intensive course with fermentation specialist Lucia Solis this February. Instead of only learning how to produce 88+ micro-lots, they want to push the quality of their standard blends and make specialty a strategy that can be scaled up to benefit the entire community.
Third generation Costa-Rican coffee producer Facundo Madrigal is bringing samples to Europe for the first time this March! Graduated in International Business, the 24-year-old is in charge of exporting for the family and has one thing in mind: building direct relationships with roasters.
Spot coffee is convenient. We get it. But forward-buying can help you scale the roastery with a consistent offer. We’ll explain why and share advice from two seasoned roasters: Plot Roasting in the UK and Coffee Architects in Switzerland.
New to direct sourcing? Read Niko's story. The Irish roaster messaged Brazilian producer Heron on Algrano after a small micro-lot order and quickly connected. Now in the 2nd year of their relationship, Niko has 160 bags on the way. He also secured his favourite anaerobic coffee before the harvest even started and become one of Heron's key partners…
Bright Java Coffee is the first supplier of high-end Indonesian coffee on Algrano. The man behind the operation is Troy Kiper, an American with a long journey into coffee that started in Afghanistan. This is his story.
Learn what causes Potato Taste Defect and how processors in Rwanda are doing to avoid it. In the end, the risk of finding PTD beans in retail bags is pretty small.
Learn what European coffee roasters in 15 countries plan for the future and the prices they’re willing to pay for green coffee. Know where roasteries expect to grow and how the rise of e-commerce is affecting their purchases.
