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Cash crop

Coffee: what can it become?

Coffee cherries become green, roasted or ground coffee, and how carefully they are processed and dried shapes the final quality.

  1. Raw coffee
  2. Processing
  3. Value-added products
  4. Packaging
  5. Markets
  6. Customers

Much of coffee's quality is decided after picking. Drying is described by FAO as a very critical stage, and slow or interrupted drying lets beans take up moisture again and grow mould. Careful sorting, clean processing and dry, protected storage keep value in the bean, while roasting and grinding add value closer to the consumer.

What can coffee become?

Green coffee, dry method

Cherries dried whole, then hulled to give green coffee, sometimes called natural coffee.

Processing
Sort cherries, dry them whole, then hull to remove the dried fruit and parchment. Remove defective and broken beans before sale.
Equipment
  • Drying tables or clean drying surfaces
  • Sorting table
  • Hulling machine
  • Winnowing or cleaning equipment
Packaging
Clean, dry sacks that keep moisture out.
Storage
Dry, ventilated store protected from rain and damp air so beans do not take up moisture.
Customer types
  • Coffee traders
  • Exporters
  • Roasters
  • Cooperatives
Distribution
Sold through a cooperative, trader or exporter, or directly to roasters.
Possible business models
  • Own small processing unit
  • Contract processing for farmers
  • Buy-process-resell

Green coffee, wet method

Cherries pulped, fermented, washed and dried to give washed green coffee.

Processing
Pulp the cherries, ferment, wash off the mucilage fully, then dry and hull. Fully washing matters because leftover mucilage invites microbes.
Equipment
  • Pulper
  • Fermentation tanks
  • Washing channels
  • Drying tables
  • Huller
Packaging
Clean, dry sacks that keep moisture out.
Storage
Dry, ventilated store, away from wet bags and damp.
Customer types
  • Exporters
  • Roasters
  • Coffee traders
  • Cooperatives
Distribution
Sold through a cooperative, washing station operator or exporter.
Possible business models
  • Own small washing station
  • Shared washing station for a farmer group
  • Contract processing for farmers

Roasted coffee

Green coffee that has been roasted, usually sold as whole beans.

Processing
Green coffee is roasted and then cooled. Careful roasting and clean, hygienic handling matter for quality.
Equipment
  • Roaster
  • Cooling tray
  • Sorting table
  • Scale
Packaging
Clean, food-safe packs with a label.
Storage
Keep in a clean, dry place.
Customer types
  • Cafes and restaurants
  • Households
  • Hotels
  • Retail shops
Distribution
Sold direct to cafes and households, or through local shops.
Possible business models
  • Own small roastery
  • Roast-to-order
  • Buy-roast-resell

Ground coffee

Roasted coffee that has been ground.

Processing
Roasted coffee is ground to the size the customer needs and packed hygienically.
Equipment
  • Grinder
  • Scale
  • Sealing machine or sealer
  • Clean packing table
Packaging
Clean, sealed, food-safe packs with a clear label.
Storage
Keep in a clean, dry place.
Customer types
  • Households
  • Shops and kiosks
  • Cafes
  • Offices
Distribution
Local shops, kiosks, markets or direct sales.
Possible business models
  • Own small grinding and packing unit
  • Contract grinding and packing
  • Buy-grind-resell

The customers, routes to market, business models and many practical tips on this page are suggestions, not findings. Know something better? Suggest an improvement →

Business opportunities around coffee

Sources and further reading

The handling, processing and storage information on this page draws on the sources below. The lists of customers, distribution routes and business models are practical suggestions, not findings from these sources. Links open in a new tab.

Examples describe possibilities, not guaranteed results. Prices, demand and rules vary by country and season — verify locally.