Although the sector shows significant growth potential, it also faces substantial risks. Behind encouraging export figures, a critical question arises: can producers actually make a living? Do these statistics reflect an improvement in coffee quality, or merely industrial intensification focused on productivity, often at the expense of environmental and social sustainability?
Much of this vulnerability lies within the supply chain, dominated by multiple intermediaries and logistics systems often ill-suited to the realities of small producers. Coffee can become a victim of its own success, especially specialty coffees, whose export and import costs may be too high to justify a profitable investment in Europe, for both roasters and end consumers.
Economic observers note that the current logistics and customs model is far from optimal. Despite the volume of trade between Latin America and Europe, it imposes disproportionate costs on producers, reducing their margins due to transportation fees, taxes, export licenses, and complex administrative procedures—far heavier than in other emerging markets such as China.
Most producing farms are small, family-run operations of less than 5 hectares, and entering the European market requires numerous technical and financial steps that are difficult to manage alone.
Many European roasters have experienced this firsthand: after identifying a producer online and investing thousands of euros to import coffee directly, they face delays extending months or even over a year, due to multiple intermediaries, lack of transparency, and unexpected costs. Shipments get lost in warehouses, documents are incomplete, and tracking is difficult.
This complexity highlights the main limitation of the current chain: misinformation, lack of coordination, and unfamiliarity with procedures. Contractual terms and deadlines are rarely negotiable or designed holistically, making the economic and administrative burden unattractive and risky.
Logistics is the true core: the more streamlined it is, the greater the value and transparency along the chain. Experience shows that consolidating flows and pooling shipments reduces costs, balances margins, and improves traceability.
Finca’s Vision and the Future of Sustainable Coffee
Finca works precisely in this direction: by consolidating lots, simplifying logistical and administrative procedures, optimizing transport, and ensuring a short, efficient, safe, and transparent supply chain between producers and European buyers.
Finca’s vision is built on creating distribution channels that valorize these coffees. They are not just taste experiences—they represent an ethical and sustainable approach, ensuring fair compensation for producers, reducing roasting losses, and delivering a unique cup that benefits health.
The goal is to balance qualitative, economic, and social value, which explains the growing popularity of these coffees in specialty coffee shops and high-end roasters.
Currently, there is a market imbalance that could influence the future of high-quality coffees. The objective is to democratize access to quality coffee, produced under the best conditions and fairly compensated along the chain: from producers, sorters, and processors who add value, to logistical and administrative intermediaries, while avoiding unnecessary costs and ensuring traceability, up to the roaster who pays a fair price, guaranteeing stability and minimizing losses.
For consumers, the goal is to enjoy the best coffee, healthy and accessible.
The ultimate aim is to create economies of scale around coffee produced under optimal conditions, offering the best sensory experience and catering to diverse tastes. Specialty processes allow for a plurality of flavors, surpassing usual tastes while ensuring health benefits and fair compensation for all stakeholders.
To achieve this, unnecessary costs—primarily logistical—must be reduced. Asking sellers or buyers to cut their margins is not sustainable; instead, time losses and superfluous expenses created when each actor manages their part separately must be eliminated. The chain should be fluid, similar to standard consumer coffee.
With a short supply chain, all actors benefit from transparent traceability and cost optimization. By consolidating and pooling flows, work is shared while maintaining clear coffee origins, ensuring short and reliable delivery times for buyers and consumers, while guaranteeing quality and product traceability.