About The Coffee Co-Mission
Mission
The Coffee Co-Mission’s mission is to enable coffee roasters to become intimately involved in the global trade of green coffee to create secure and beneficial trade conditions for farmers. We believe a more inclusive trade environment for small coffee producers is critical for the coffee industry, and a basic right of the producers.
The Coffee Co-Mission sources coffee from small independent producers as well as co-ops that can effectively demonstrate honest and fair treatment of its farming members. We work to support producers through access to organic agriculture inputs, monetary and IP investments in infrastructure and processes, and regulatory and trade/export assistance.
The Coffee Co-Mission works to give coffee roasters a competitive advantage by organizing and maintaining the Co-Mission Buying Network to facilitate and finance direct trade relationships between farmers and roasters.
The Coffee Co-Mission limits operating costs wherever possible to further benefit its farmer and roaster members. Despite being organized as a for-profit business, it is our goal to operate at a near break-even so that we can pay farmers more and still provide great value to roasters.
How We Buy Coffee
The Coffee Co-Mission has a simple, but new and disruptive, approach to buying coffee. We understand that the ceiling regarding coffee prices is ultimately set by what the consumer will pay for their coffee. From this perspective, the roaster, The Coffee Co-Mission and the farmer are all in the same boat together.
With this in mind, The Coffee Co-Mission first determines a competitive sales price, delivered to the roaster, for the coffee it buys. The costs associated with preparing the coffee, its export, import and warehousing, along with our overhead and employees’ compensation are deducted from the sales price. This tells us how much we can afford to pay the farmer. The Coffee Co-Mission targets a 3% net profit margin before tax to guarantee future operations. No profits, salaries, distributions or other compensation is paid out to the owners/founders of The Coffee Co-Mission.
In short, the aim is to pay the farmer as much as possible. In our experience so far this approach, coupled with the direct to farmer nature of our business, has enabled us to pay farmers a great deal more than they earned in the past - typically anywhere from 50-200% more - and still deliver the coffee at competitive prices to roasters.
We also take the approach that the whole harvest has value – if it is properly sorted to allow each roaster to have what they need for their particular approach to the business or a certain project. We don’t believe buying only a portion of a farmer’s harvest is beneficial to them. Lastly, we aim to partner with farmers for life. Whole life relationships and whole harvest contracts are the only way to truly add security to the life of a small producer. – From our perspective.
Co-Mission Buying Network Purchase Terms
Spot Purchases
- Roasters do not have to join the Buying Network to make spot purchases.
- Orders for spot purchases from current inventory can be placed through your local Market Manager or placed online after logging into your account.
- The Coffee Co-Mission will arrange and book shipping unless asked not to. No additional service fees are added. We shop multiple carriers and pass any discounted shipping rates on to the customer.
- Final invoices are sent after shipping rates have been quoted and accepted.
- Invoices can be paid online by CC or ACH. Checks may be mailed to the address below.
- Free pick-up at any of our warehouses is available. Warehouse hours differ by location.
Optional - Buying Network Membership
Membership in the Co-Mission Buying Network is optional. Membership does not in any way imply ownership in The Coffee Co-Mission. Membership in the Co-Mission Buying Network does not restrict a coffee roaster from purchasing green coffee outside of the Co-Mission Buying Network.
A $59.00usd annual fee will be added to your first order. Member fees will be billed annually at your join date. There are no minimum purchase requirements.
Benefits – Buying Network Membership
Direct purchases are available to members of the Buying Network.
Direct purchases are available for pre-harvest or pre-shipment purchases and give roasters of any size the ability to engage in direct relationship coffee buying.
- The Coffee Co-Mission acts as quality control grader, bank, broker, importer, warehouse and distributor for Buying Network members' direct purchases.
- There is a 7% discount for direct purchases from the spot purchase price.
- Direct purchases can be made for as little as 1 bag.
- Buying Network members do not pay for direct purchases at the time of contracting.
- Direct purchases are paid for after the coffee has arrived in the US and the inventory is called off by the roaster.
- Direct purchases can be called off in partial orders.
- Buying Network members receive 6 months free warehousing on direct purchases.
- Storage charges for direct purchases not called off after 6 months are $15.00 per pallet per month, or a minimum of $5.00 per month.
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