Europe is the world’s largest consumer market for coffee and also a traditional one, at least when it comes to trade. The continent is well-served by a wide range of middlemen who make buying coffee easy. Many times, though, this comes at the expense of transparency and a relationship with the producer. In Guatemala, things are not all that different. The long-established supply chain relies on a series of intermediaries, from co-operatives, growers’ associations, local logistics teams, sales agents, exporters, importers etc, all of which have more decision-making power than farmers.
Though both roasters and producers can benefit from a shorter supply chain, it’s still difficult to find companies willing to provide services in quality control and logistics whilst waiving control of the coffee transaction itself. More often than not, middlemen want to be in charge of sourcing and negotiating themselves, leaving little room for roasters and producers to communicate beyond possible marketing needs and niceties. This is where Algrano and The Guat Lab, an exporting company based in Guatemala, stand out.
Both companies focus on providing services to support a direct relationship between roasters and producers with less of the associated risks of doing business alone. Algrano’s shipping service, for example, made it possible for forward-thinking Frankfurt roasters Hoppenworth & Ploch to keep full control of their partnership and communication with Mario Alarcon of fincas Monte de Oro and El Recuerdo in Acatenango - also the co-owner of The Guat Lab with producer Christian Starry, of Finca El Xalúm - whilst keeping shipping costs efficient, avoiding risks and managing quality assurance.
