Heleph coffee Exporter

Roaster Relationship Program

Heleph coffee exporter

Roaster Relationship Program

Overview

Heleph maintains long-term relationships with specialty roasters worldwide.

Services Offered

  • Exclusive micro-lots
  • Custom processing projects
  • Origin trips
  • Cupping samples and lab support
  • Transparent supply chain documentation
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What is direct trade?

Direct trade is a process in which roasters buy coffee directly from farmers.

Also known as “relationship coffee”, it is typically based on interpersonal connections, mutual trust, price transparency, and a commitment to quality improvement beyond a single harvest.

“They greet you with open arms and share everything in their life with you.”

One of the central goals of direct trade is to create a more level playing field. Farmers often receive a relatively small percentage of profits when their coffee passes through many hands before it reaches the consumer.

Buying directly from producers can improve the way companies respond to their needs.

Promoting quality and equality

Another central goal of direct trade is quality improvement. With other models of trade, there can be very little incentive to improve the quality of farming methods, not least because they lack the means to do so.

“Coffee farmers work the hardest out of everybody in the whole chain, yet they benefit the least…”

As well as giving them a competitive edge, it incentivizes the producers to improve their green beans quality since higher quality beans can command a premium price, which translates to better profit.

“Coffee farmers work the hardest out of everybody in the whole chain, yet they benefit the least and have some of the hardest lives,” he says, “It’s unfair and it shouldn’t be that way.”

But it’s not just about quality: a direct relationship helps promote transparency and fairness. Once coffee is harvested, it is typically passed through hundreds of hands via a complex supply chain.

Farmers are usually oblivious to what happens to their coffee once it leaves the farm, often unaware of how their coffee even tastes. Being in direct contact with the producers allows roasters to provide updates and instant feedback to them. 

Ultimately, a direct relationship humanizes the producer-roaster relationship in which farmers are treated with the respect and fairness they deserve.

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