We continue to tell you what requirements specialty coffee must meet in order to enter the market (using the example of Europe).
The European market today requires food safety guarantees, covering production and processing processes. Specific requirements may include:
Szczególne wymagania mogą obejmować:
• The voluntary agricultural standard GLOBAL G.A.P, which proves the use of good agricultural practices when growing products;
• Verification of levels of hazardous substances, such as contamination with ochratoxin, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and glyphosate, which is proven through laboratory testing, which must be done in an EU-accredited laboratory;
• Implementation of a quality management system (QMS) based on hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP), which is today the minimum standard for the production of green specialty coffee;
• Compliance with the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSi) through participation in programs such as BRC Global Standard Food Safety, FSSC 22000, IFS Food or SQF.
Additional requirements for the sustainability of the production process will give the specialty coffee supplier additional competitive advantages. Today, European traders and roasters in the specialty segment want full compliance with the rules of working with ethical and ecological sources. These include direct contact with the producer, as well as transparency and promotion of ecological practices in the cultivation and export of coffee. Therefore, for an exporter to build long-term relationships with buyers, proper open communication will be required. Also, buyers in Europe like it when suppliers adhere to delivery deadlines, even with an increase in order volumes or with a negative change in weather conditions in the growing country in a particular year. Therefore, insufficient and untimely communication, as well as non-compliance with delivery terms, even with full compliance with other requirements, are the main reasons for buyers to switch to other suppliers. Exporters who cooperate with European importers need to understand that European standards of communication and responsibility are very high.
Regarding price. In the specialty coffee market, quality is the most important indicator. However, the supplier price still remains critical, because coffee sold in a store or coffee shop includes many other costs that the importer builds into the pricing structure. If the supplier price is significantly higher than the market price without reason, then even high product quality becomes an additional, not a primary factor.
In addition, the European market has specific requirements for organic coffee and Direct Trade. Organic certification, for example, requires obtaining the EU Organic label to confirm the minimum legal requirements for selling coffee as organic in the EU. This requires additional costs for laboratory testing and obtaining a certificate from the relevant body. Details can be found on the IFOAM Organics Europe website. Certain countries may have their own certification body, such as Switzerland or the United Kingdom.
In addition to the EU standards, specific companies may add their own requirements that must be met if a specialty coffee supplier wishes to cooperate with them. Therefore, it is necessary to check their requirements, for example on their websites, or obtain them from officials upon request.
One of the best ways to enter any new market, including the EU, is to attend trade fairs. People in Europe love trade fairs. And through them, you can not only promote your own products, but also establish contacts with wholesale and retail buyers by handing out your business cards. Among the possible interesting fairs, you can note SCA’s World of Coffee, Biofach, Producer & Roaster Forum, the African Fine Coffee Association (AFCA) Conference, as well as city festivals and weekend fairs, which are full of Europe all year round. Among the big cities, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Milan, Warsaw and Paris are suitable for you.
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