Direct Trade in the Specialty Coffee Market: Contributions, Limitations and New Lines of Research

Abstract

Double Blind Review System Scientific Editor Ilan AvrichirStudy aim: we aimed to outline the direct trade of specialty coffees' global research and adoption, highlighting its contributions, limitations and theoretical and empirical gaps, providing insights for future studies. Method: integrative systematic review of selected academic materials from the Web of Knowledge, SciELO, Scopus, Science Direct and Scholar Google databases, as well as technical materials from the Specialty Coffee Association and the Perfect Daily Grind portals, which were analyzed using the qualitative and open grid categorical content analysis technique. Main results: we identified three categories of contributions associated with Direct Trade -"Relationship and Coordination", "Origin and Sustainability" and "Quality and Differentiation" and three categories of its limitations -"Conceptual and Regulatory", "Execution and Monitoring" and "Potential of Transformation and Accessibility". Despite its potential to contribute to the promotion of the sustainability of this market, Direct Trade is not the only solution to the many and complex challenges of the activity. Therefore, it should be adapted to local realities and be carefully adopted, preferably in conjunction with other initiatives aimed at opening different markets and reaching different consumer audiences. Relevance/originality: this is the first systematic review of the subject, required by the rapid growth of studies in the field, despite its currentness and only recent expansion of the debate. Theoretical/methodological contributions: we presented a new concept of Direct Trade, subdivided the practice into two perspectives -relational and transactionaland elaborated a framework for its realization.

Metabolomics: A suitable foodomics approach to the geographical origin traceability of Ethiopian Arabica specialty coffees

“…A coffee with a cupping score greater than 80 points based on the grading parameters of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) is graded as a specialty coffee (Putri et al, 2019). Alternatively, Norwegian Erna Knutsen defined specialty coffee as coffee from a particular geographic microclimate with unique sensory profiles (Guimarães et al, 2020). Ethiopian specialty coffee from a single origin with exceptional flavor profiles from Harrar, Yirgacheffe, and Sidama has a premium price in the world coffee market (Alemu & Meijerink, 2010; Tolessa et al, 2019).…”

Sustainability issues along the coffee chain: From the field to the cup

“…The direct trade and relationship coffee concepts are increasingly trending in the global specialty coffee sector and aim for a direct and informal connection between producer and roaster—without other players—based on personal interaction, mutual trust, and price transparency to attain high‐quality coffees and to improve the lives of coffee farmers and their communities, thus promoting economic, social, and environmental sustainability (Edelmann et al., 2019; Guimarães et al., 2020; Vicol et al., 2018). These concepts have been promoted by small‐ and medium‐sized specialty roasters that divulge and market their relationships with producer communities on their websites and social media, by exposing stories and photos of farmer interaction and presenting sustainability/transparency reports.…”

Coopetição Entre Cafeicultores, Cooperativas E Associações: Evidências No Mercado Brasileiro De Cafés Especiais

“…A cooperação nos múltiplos níveis das IGs de cafés reforça a intenção de descomoditizar o produto, cuja vulnerabilidade comercial sempre foi desafiadora para os cafeicultores. Essa fragilidade necessita ser enfrentada "em bloco" para atingir os efeitos esperados: melhorar o nível de controle da comercialização do café, físico e narrativo, bem como reduzir as assimetrias de poder na cadeia de abastecimento (Guimarães et al, 2020). Já a competição nos múltiplos níveis das IGs de cafés abrange o produto propriamente dito, e os processos e serviços diferenciados atrelados à sua consecução.…”

“…Além da seleção dos cafeicultores entrevistados, preferencialmente engajados na exploração do comércio de café especial, esses mesmos gestores ajudaram a eleger as instituições que apoiam os cafeicultores no esforço de produção e comercialização, já que elas compõem a rede de colaboração que busca o sucesso e a solidez da reputação do café especial da respectiva região. A única demanda para a seleção dos cafeicultores feita aos gestores foi que a composição dos entrevistados fosse heterogênea, de forma a sustentar nos relatos uma gama mais variada de percepções, como cafeicultores engajados no relacionamento e coordenação da cadeia; na origem e sustentabilidade; na qualidade e diferenciação de produto, relacionadas ao Direct Trade(Guimarães, Santos, Leme & Azevedo, 2020), bem como produtores iniciados e amadurecidos, com e sem marca própria.A coleta foi realizada por meio de vinte entrevistas semiestruturadas, cujos detalhes podem ser observados no Quadro 1. Duas dessas entrevistas realizadas com o gestor da Alta Mogiana (entrevistas 1 e 2) e uma terceira realizada com esse mesmo gestor e mais dois cafeicultores, interagindo entre si (entrevista 3), foram importantes para validar a proposta deste trabalho.…”