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

barrel. They also carry stocks in Hamburg, Barcelona and Trieste managed by partners. Whilst BMG sells to Speciality Traders, they mainly sell directly to roasters of varying size with demand from individual barrels to full containers. BMG highlighted France as a particular market of interest with hundreds of small roasters. Given the range of JBMestates that they carry they can offer exclusivity to different clients in the same geographical area. BMG have also sold JBM directly to high end department stores such as Fortnum and Mason in London, selling very small volumes, but enhancing the coffee’s reputation. BMG noted that other distributors have entered the market and tried to compete on price. The market is small, and price competition does not help the Jamaica producers or farmers. Normally, these Distributors do not enter the market for long, as established relationships are strong. Other distributors into the EU include FA Coffee and Obuo who supply spot quantities to both speciality coffee traders and roasters across the continent. Obuo started importing in London and is now based in Denmark. In order to have more control over coffee supply they are now vertically integrated having purchased Sherwood Forest Estate where they are currently producing limited quantities of JBM but undertaking significant investment to expand volumes over the next years.

5.4. Jamaican Producers Whilst JBM production is hugely dependent on 4,500 smallholder farmers. JBM green bean purchasing and processing is dominated by the ‘big six’ producers in Jamaica illustrated below. The dominance of a few producers has been important in investing in and growing JBM globally, setting pricing, volumes and decisions on investments locally.

Green Bean Processor Share, Jamaica 2002-2021

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

2002/2003

2003/2004

2004/2005

2005/2006

2006/2007

2007/2008

2008/2009

2009/2010

2011/2012

2012/2013

2013/2014

2014/2015

2015/2016

2016/2017

2017/2018

2018/2019

2019/2020

2020/2021

2010/2011

Wallenford

Mavisbank

Jamaica Coffee Corporation Coffee Traders

Greenwich Coffee Company Jamaica Standard Products Trumpet Tree

Other

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