Expanding Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee in the EU

Jamaica and the Coffee Market

Expanding Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee in the EU Windward Commodities 30th June 2022

3.5. The Chosen Few With consolidation in recent years, production and EU export of JBM is dominated by large and influential actors relative to the size of the industry. The two dominant producer groups, Coffee Traders and Mavis Bank-Wallenford, now export over 60% of all beans. This is positive in the sense that it provides commercial sustainability, economies of scale and the managerial expertise to drive marketing and exports of JBM. However, it also gives enormous domestic influence to the two main producers on both domestic and export prices. In the EU, a merger of the two largest distributors in 2017, who themselves have investments in JBM, estates means that supply, pricing and end market activities are closely monitored and controlled. Additionally, all exports must pass through JACRA for strict quality control, with export and import licences required for relevant parties to ensure visibility and monitoring of sales and legal use of the JBM brand in end markets. Whilst investment over time and quality controls are the reason that the JBM brand is so valuable, this concentration of power has also stifled innovation both domestically and in export markets.

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