%201%402x.png)
Houston, we made a connection.
This year’s SCA Expo wasn’t just another industry event. It was a pulse check on where coffee is heading. From market volatility to deeper conversations about equity and trust, the takeaways were loud and clear: Direct trade is evolving. And the people making it happen aren’t waiting around.
If you missed it (or just want to relive it), here’s the highlight reel: full of small moments, big ideas, and powerful voices that are shaping the future of sourcing.
.png)
🌎 A global marketplace, one conversation at a time
Our booth didn’t feel like a booth. It felt like a bustling plaza — a pop-up community where producers from Ethiopia, Colombia, Rwanda, Brazil, and Honduras poured coffees, answered questions, and sparked spontaneous conversations with roasters from across the U.S.
Some roasters came for samples. Others stayed to talk real partnerships. A few danced at our party. But every interaction shared one thing: mutual respect.
“Real connections were forming… There was joy all around. It never felt transactional.”
— Natalia Grisales, Brand Manager at Algrano
This is what sourcing looks like when trust is the main ingredient.
🔈“That’s not long-term thinking.” — Steve from Unravel
One of the most talked-about moments of the weekend came from Steve Holt of Unravel Coffee Merchants during our Shipping Services Workshop. His words cut through the noise:
.png)
“A lot of roasters want the story — and the pretty photo — but they don’t engage in the relationship. For me, this has to be a constant conversation. Algrano is the binder of that relationship.”
It hit home. Direct trade isn’t just about buying better. It’s about showing up over time, and building trust in both directions.
🎧 Listen to Steve’s full take here:
💰 Financing coffee, not just talking about it
One of the most powerful sessions we hosted? A deep dive into the financing gap facing producers.
Algrano’s CFO Florian Schaffner and Fernando Patiño of Majestic Coffee laid it bare: most producers don’t get access to fair credit. That forces them to sell coffee early at lower prices, just to survive the harvest.
But with pre-financing backed by real data and long-term relationships, that changes.
“Fair financing doesn’t just allow you to grow coffee — it allows you to grow dignity.” Fernando Patiño
📺 Watch the full lecture:
📊 Download the slides to dig deeper
💡 Conversations that matter
.png)
Beyond the sessions, what stood out most were the hallway chats, late-night dinners, and shared moments.
- At Cxffeeblack’s Supply Chain Secret Meet, we witnessed the historic launch of the first-ever Reparations Container, fully led by Black producers from seed to sip.
- Our Producer Evening was the biggest yet. Shout out to Tenfold Coffee who hosted us! Roasters like Neighborly Coffee and Treeline Coffee showed up, shared how they source, and listened to producers in return.
- A Rwandan exporter openly raised a past shipping issue during our workshop. Instead of brushing it off, we leaned in. The conversation showed what real transparency is: listening, responding, and growing stronger together.
- On the show floor, we served a coffee produced by Apas Coffee and roasted by Kaffeemacher:innen — one of Algrano’s longest-standing partnerships. It was a simple moment with deep meaning: a tangible example of what sustained direct trade can achieve over time.
Let’s keep the conversation going
Whether you met us in Houston or are just discovering these stories, one thing’s clear: the future of coffee sourcing is grounded in real relationships.
It’s not just about price or process. It’s about listening. Sharing risk. And showing up, harvest after harvest.
Until the next cup, at World of Coffee Geneva 2025.
