Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/491365
56 STiR tea & coffee industry international offee producers and roasters who deal direct establish a relationship and con- duct their transactions in harmony. As a result each more fully understands the process and their trading partner. That was evident when both ends of the coffee bean supply chain gathered at the Specialty Coffee Association of America's annual conference in Seattle, Wash. A conference session focusing on direct business models, presented by long-time importer Andi Trindle Mersch and attorney Marshall Fuss, explained the concepts and provided an impromptu opportunity for producers and roasters to ask questions and learn about the challenges they both face. That's what Trindle Mersch was hoping would happen. "The whole point of the panel was to create a conversation and have people think about the dialogue they should be having," Trindle Mersch said later. "That was a great opportunity. That's exactly what the whole presentation was about." The direct business model is not a new. "It has been steadily growing for about a decade and it has grown exponentially since its inception," Trindle Mersch said. "There has been a lot of learning along the way. Participants have had a lot of challenges and we've improved the model. We continue to work out the kinks." Success generally depends on three key players at minimum – the producer, the im- porter and the roaster – who must work together on the transaction. This differs from the traditional model in which a producer and roaster deal only through an importer. Roasters large enough to employ buyers who routinely travel to origin find the greatest benefit. Growers seek buyers who can commit to at least 15 60-kilo sacks of green coffee. The ideal is container-sized allotments. In rare instances (refered to as a full trade) the roaster and producer simply ex- change cash for coffee. "This model generally doesn't eliminate the middle man," Trindle Mersch said dur- ing the presentation. "They still provide a valuable service. In the traditional model, the Dealing Direct By Dan Shryock C