How to buy green coffee directly from origin: samples, contracts, Incoterms, payment

Buying straight from a cooperative, mill or exporter can get you better coffee, better traceability and a relationship that lasts for years. It also means you handle steps an importer would normally take care of. This guide walks through them in the order you meet them.

Updated October 3, 2026 · 7 sources

1. Check the seller

Ask who will export the coffee and how they are licensed. Rules differ by country: in Colombia every exporter must be in the FNC's exporter register; in Kenya exporters need a coffee buyer's licence or a registered direct sales contract under the Coffee Act, 2026. On Coffee Parchment, a Verified badge means we have checked a licence or registration by hand. Read how to avoid scams before you send money to anyone new.

2. Get samples, and know which kind

Offer sample: sent to show what is for sale.
Pre-shipment sample: drawn from the actual lot before it ships, for your approval.
Stock-lot sample: from coffee already in stock that will be shipped exactly as sampled.
Type sample: an agreed standard quality used for repeat business.

The ITC Coffee Guide recommends samples of at least 300 g so they can be roasted and cupped, packed so they cannot mix, with a sheet giving producer, process, grade, crop year, altitude and number of bags. CBI, the Dutch government's export promotion agency, warns that the coffee shipped must match the approved sample exactly, or a claim is likely. Speciality and premium coffees are sold on samples; standard qualities can be traded on description.

3. Use a standard contract

The coffee trade relies on standard contracts so that each deal only has to state its own details. According to the ITC, the most used are those of the European Coffee Federation (ECF) in Europe and the Green Coffee Association (GCA) in the United States. Your offer or contract should state at least:

Quality: origin, grade, screen, process, crop year, maximum moisture and defects, and whether the sale is "subject to approval of sample".
Quantity, and the bag size (60, 69 or 70 kg bags are all used).
Price and currency, fixed or as a differential to a futures month.
Shipment period and port. "Prompt" means within 30 days of the contract and "immediate" within 15, in ITC usage.
Delivery term (Incoterm), payment terms and the place of arbitration.

4. Agree the price basis

The price can be fixed per pound or kilogram when you sign, or set as a differential to the ICE futures market. In a differential contract, the ITC says, you must name the futures market and month and state whether the buyer or the seller chooses when to fix the price. Our price guide explains differentials and unit conversions.

5. Choose the Incoterm

The International Chamber of Commerce's Incoterms® 2020 has 11 rules. Seven work for any mode of transport (EXW, FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU, DDP) and four are for sea and inland waterway transport (FAS, FOB, CFR, CIF). The ones you will meet most in coffee:

Term	What it means for the buyer
EXW (Ex Works)	You collect at the seller's premises and handle export clearance and all transport.
FCA (Free Carrier)	The seller clears the coffee for export and hands it to your carrier at a named place. Common for landlocked origins, according to the ITC.
FOB (Free On Board)	The seller clears for export and loads the coffee on the vessel at the named port; you pay freight and insurance from there.
CFR / CIF	The seller also pays sea freight to your port (CIF adds marine insurance), but the risk passes to you once the coffee is on board at origin.

6. Agree safe payment terms

CBI says cash against documents (CAD) is the main payment method for coffee exports to Europe: the seller ships, the bank releases the shipping documents to the buyer against payment. A letter of credit is safer for the seller but costs more and is mostly used for large shipments. The U.S. International Trade Administration notes that cash in advance is safest for the exporter and riskiest for the buyer, while open account (payment 30, 60 or 90 days after delivery) is the reverse. With a new partner, avoid paying the full value up front.

7. Ship and check the documents

A 20-foot container holds up to about 21 tonnes of coffee (ITC). Green coffee is usually packed in sturdy jute or sisal bags, sometimes with a moisture-barrier liner (CBI). Typical documents are the bill of lading, commercial invoice, phytosanitary certificate, certificate of origin (carrying an ICO identification mark or a customs consignment reference under ICO rules), any quality certificate the origin issues and, for the EU from 30 December 2026, the EUDR reference number (see our EUDR guide). Check your own country's import rules in our trade compliance checklist.

8. On arrival

Draw an arrival sample, compare it with the approved pre-shipment sample and cup it promptly. Standard contracts set strict deadlines for quality claims, so read yours before the coffee lands.

Start sourcing

Browse lots by origin, for example Ethiopia, Colombia, Kenya or Brazil, or post a buyer request and let producers come to you.

Frequently asked questions

How big should a green coffee sample be?

The ITC Coffee Guide says at least 300 g, so the sample can be roasted and cupped. Label it with producer, process, grade, crop year and lot size.

What is the difference between FOB and FCA?

Under FOB the seller loads the coffee on the ship at the named port. Under FCA the seller hands it to your carrier at a named place, which can be inland. FOB is a sea-transport rule; FCA works for any mode.

What is the safest way to pay a new coffee supplier?

Cash against documents or a letter of credit, so payment is tied to proof of shipment. Avoid paying the full amount in advance to a seller you have not traded with.

How much coffee fits in a container?

A 20-foot container can hold up to about 21 tonnes of green coffee, according to the ITC Coffee Guide.

Sources

Checked on October 3, 2026. Laws, rules and prices change: always check the official source before you trade. This guide is general information, not legal advice.