Expanding Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee in the EU

Moving Blue Mountain to Market

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

There are also excellent independent speciality traders in the EU including Falcon Coffees* (UK/ EU), Nordic Approach (Norway), Mare Terra (Spain), Belco (France), T his Side Up (Netherlands) and many others who are passionate about quality, origin and transparency, and prepared to invest working in value chains and supporting collaborative market strategies to ensure the success of speciality coffees. They will facilitate engagement with likeminded roasters including field visits and collaborative purchasing, with a focus on farm gate pricing and sustainable practices. Speciality traders have direct sourcing relationships with single origin and micro lot coffees, valuing a whole range of factors that differentiate the coffees. They will also invest in origins working with exporters and farmers to improve quality, reputation and livelihoods. None of the traders were looking for mainstream certifications in their speciality coffees, valuing transparency, social equity and environmental sustainability above any certification. All mentioned that organic certification would ‘create shelf space’ but does not command a premium in the market. This makes it challenging for producers who can lose up to 45% crop through adhering to strict organic practices. All were clear that they would work with established exporters to ensure efficient logistics from Jamaica into the EU market. There are also excellent independent speciality traders in the EU who are passionate about quality, origin and transparency, and prepared to invest working in value chains and supporting collaborative market strategies to ensure the success of speciality coffees. 5.3. EU Distributors The majority of JBM EU sales are through the Blue Mountain Coffee Group Limited (BMG), a merger between Blue Mountain coffee (Europe) and Edmonds Group in 2017. Both companies had been competing in the EU market and have longstanding joint ventures in farming and processing with the key producers including Stoneleigh Estate, and are JBM specialists. As a result of the merger BMG offers the widest range of JBM estate coffees EU buyers including contracts with Blue Baron, Cinchona, Flamstead, St Clouds, Stoneleigh and Clifton Mount Estate. Whilst there is relatively high demand in the UK market and Western Europe, volume is also exported to Turkey, Israel and Russia (pre conflict in Ukraine). BMG’s model is to hold stock in Antwerp and the UK and offer clients Just-In-Time fulfilment of orders as small as 15Kg

26 | Time to Wake Up and ‘Cup’ the Coffee