OUR GREEN BEANS ARE SUPPLIED BY INTERNATIONAL COFFEE TRADERS
ICT have spent years developing relationships with producers to create an extensive and unmatched green coffee bean buying network. We source beans directly from producers, and our strong presence at origin gives us access to quality beans during all seasons of the year.
For roasters, this means continuity and sustainability of supply, access to the highest quality coffees, and the ability to trace each bean lot back to the producer at origin. Regardless of season, crop variation, or reduced availability from particular regions, International Coffee Traders has access to beans to meet market demands and roaster requirements.
OUR ORIGINS
International Coffee Traders has direct relationships with producers in over 22 origins. Each origin produces its own distinct coffee characteristics, influenced by soil, climate, and other growing conditions. Direct access to producers across many origins offers roasters the opportunity to experience a wide range of coffee and develop unique blends to meet their customers’ tastes and demands.
SUSTAINABILITY
International Coffee Traders is committed to the use of sustainable and environmentally responsible farming techniques. We engage directly with producers at origin, working with them to build a coffee industry that delivers benefits back to local communities.
OUR PRODUCERS
At the heart of our ability to source green coffee beans are the relationships we have developed with coffee producers around the globe. Working directly with producers at the farm level provides us with access to the beans our roasting customers require. However our philosophy is that these relationships should be mutually beneficial. At International Coffee Traders, we place strong emphasis on sustainability, ethical practices, and long term security for producers.
SUPPORTING LOCAL COMMUNITIES
Our green bean specialist travels constantly, working to strengthen relationships and establish new ones – however we’re not simply catching up over a coffee. We actively work with producers to identify opportunities and support the implementation of changes that result in improvements; not just in the quality of the green beans but also in the quality of life for the producer and their community.
Our commitment to buy green beans enables producers to invest in their farms, resulting in improved bean quality and increased crop volumes. These benefits extend across entire communities. The stability of our relationships provides producers with the confidence to invest in hiring local workers and to offer long term employment prospects. It also means long term, environmentally responsible farming practices can be applied.
FAIR PRICING VS FAIR TRADE
International Coffee Traders have a philosophy and a practice of ensuring Fair Pricing, by negotiating prices directly with the producers, taking into consideration a number of factors such as coffee bean quality, production costs, and current market prices.
It is important not to confuse ICT Fair Pricing with the Fair Trade brand in the marketplace. ICT Fair Pricing is much more than a business, it’s a way of life. By contrast, Fair Trade is a ‘business’.
ICT Fair Pricing’s way of life is built on trust and ethics. Producers will have an expectation of the price level they expect to achieve and our crop knowledge and broad market perspective enables a fair and competitive negotiation process. Ultimately, producers are offered a price that reflects/acknowledges the quality of their crop, and not simply a price set/dictated by a distant coffee futures market.