[Note: This story has been updated since its original publication to include comments from a Cafix program representative.]
The Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) last week announced the launch of Cafix, a trading and logistics program designed to streamline exports directly from producers to international buyers.
The Cafix program includes a platform and registration tools — both for buyers and sellers — through which registered coffee farming families can ship limited quantities of coffees while saving on traditional shipping or export costs, according to the organization.
“We currently serve coffee growers who already have customers abroad,” a Cafix program representative told DCN via email. “The next step will be the creation of a marketplace where coffee growers and interested buyers can do business easily.”
According to the FNC, the program facilitates exports to all of the European Union (EU), with the exception of Spain, as well as to Japan, Korea and China.
“We seek to democratize coffee exports and give those producers the opportunity to connect with their clients abroad and export their coffee in a direct, agile and competitive way,” Cafix Director Daniel Pajoy said in an English-language version of the FNC announcement.
The FNC did not respond to DCN’s request for clarification regarding the Cafix initiative.
According to the program announcement, the platform allows for traditional container shipping, or direct shipping of up to 60 kilograms (132 pounds) of green coffee, or up to 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of “processed” coffee.
Within the direct-shipping framework, producers may make multiple shipments in a single day if they meet the maximum weight requirements, the FNC said. Quality control and other export protocols will be overseen by Almacafé, the warehousing and logistical arm of the FCN.
The group said the program is currently available to 548 coffee-growing families in Colombia, and the only requirement for participation is registration in the FNC producer database, as well as in the Cafix system.
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Nick Brown Nick Brown is the editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine.
