Coffee

Importing starts with green coffee that is completely processed and ready for export from the origin country. Typically, shipped in 20 foot containers of 275 to 320 bags (70kb or 60kg) or less. It could also be loaded bulk, therefore enabling more beans to be shipped, lowering the shipping costs on a per pound/kilo basis.

From the USA, specialty coffees are most often purchased by importers or individual roasters via an FOB Contract. FOB (Free On Board) means that the price paid by the buyer includes all of the costs in the exporting country, including processing, inland transport, warehousing, dock fees, export fees and loading the container onto the ship. Ownership passes from the seller to the buyer once the container passes over the rail of the ship. The ships captain prepares the Bill of Lading that you will present to your bank to prove the coffee is now on the ship.

The exporter will need a bank that can handle international interbank transactions. Preferably one that is experienced in export document requirements. If not well established at this type of transaction, the exporter will not want to extend credit to any buyer, but will require payment terms: CAD (Cash Against Documents).

A CAD transaction enables the exporter to have payment deposited into his bank account after presenting to the bank the required documents proving that the coffee purchased by the importer (buyer) meets the specifications in the coffee purchase contract/agreement. The exporter’s bank will determine exactly what documents are required.

These documents may include:

- Ocean Bill of Lading (from the freight liner after the coffee is loaded on the ship)
- Weight Notes to identify the exact content and weight of that content
- Certificate of Origin (issued by the government Customs authority in India)
- Certificate of Fumigation (if required by importing country)
- ICO Certificate of Origin (Approved by the ICO: International Coffee Organization)
- Invoice sent to buyer identify the details of the purchase and $Value.
- Packing List from seller as evidence of the product shipped.
- Other agricultural certificates as dictated in your country

Typically, the exporter will use an Export Broker in the origin country who is expert in these matters and can arrange all of the issues involved in preparing the coffee and the documents for export. If a broker is the seller/exporter, then he will handle all of the required export documentation. The buyer/importer arranges for payment, ocean freight and transport insurance. It’s also the importer’s responsibility for acquiring all import documentation and arrangement in his country.

Of course, finding buyers is the key when importing for resell. For information to identify coffee importers, office coffee service providers and specialty gourmet coffee roasters in the United States, you can purchase a membership list from the Specialty Coffee Association of America or from InfoUSA.com. You can use networking sites like, TradeKey as well.

Note: there are always risks associated with importing. Although the importer may have received samples representing the coffee purchased, in most cases the actual coffee received will match the quality grade, type and source, every coffee lot is different, even from the same region and farm.

There are a few ways to lower this risk. One is to be sure you have a “green coffee contract” modeled after the Green Coffee Association Contract Terms & Conditions. Second, be sure to get an export sample taken directly from the contain prior to its being loaded onto the ship, since once the container is on the ship ownership transfers to the importer (FOB contract terms). Finally, when you purchase is large enough, personally knowing who your buying from and even visiting the country to physically select and monitor the export process is an option.

Author, Steve Josephs is CEO of Intellidon Marketing Solutions, whose family office coffee service business, the Great American Coffee Company, http://www.GourmetOfficeCoffee.com, is a premier Specialty coffee roaster and office coffee service provider in the Denver, Colorado metropolitan business community.

Copyright 2009 The Great American Coffee Company and Intellidon Marketing Solutions, Inc.

All rights reserved. Reprints are permissible when this Copyright statement and website link are included.

Author: Steve Josephs
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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“Coffee is the common man’s gold, and like gold, it brings to every person the feeling of luxury and nobility.” – Sheik Abd-al-Qadir

Think about the last cup of coffee you drank. Was it a gourmet coffee blend from Starbucks Coffee? Or maybe a pot you brewed at home such as Maxwell House? Now answer this question: Where did it originate from? Chances are the response will be a wild guess or an “I don’t know”.

According to the International Coffee Organization’s Executive Director, the amount of coffee consumed worldwide throughout 2009 reached roughly 132 million bags. Nearly 21.5 million of those bags could be attributed to consumption in just the United States, which is more than any other single country. Of those avid coffee drinkers, most will admit knowing very little about the history and origin of the tantalizing beverage.

The exact beginnings remain unclear. Legends tell of an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi who, in c.850, noticed the energizing effects his flock experienced after eating the bright red berries from a local shrub. After experimenting with the berries himself, Kaldi brought the berries to a nearby Muslim holy man. However, the holy man disapproved of their use and threw them into a fire. Suddenly an enticing aroma began to fill the air. The roasted beans were then raked from the glowing embers, ground, and dissolved in hot water, creating the world’s first cup of coffee.

Although this tale has emerged as an entertaining speculation, the earliest credible evidence of either knowledge of the coffee tree or coffee drinking comes from mid-fifteenth century southern Arabia in the Sufi monasteries around Mocha (or Mokha), Yemen. It was here that coffee beans were first roasted and brewed similarly to how they are today. It is rumored that the Arab word ‘qahwah’, stemming from the verb ‘gahiya’, signifying “to have no hunger”, was the first name given to what is known as ‘coffee’ in today’s English language.

In 1587 Abd al-Qadir al-Jazirir, who may be considered one of the most important early coffee writers, compiled a work tracing the history and legal controversies of coffee. A translation of this work maps the spread of coffee from Yemen north to Mecca and Medina, then on to the larger cities of Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, and Istanbul. Historians place the first established coffeehouse in Constantinople (today’s Istanbul). There is some controversy regarding the exact time and location. Various legends tell of place known as ‘Kiva Han’ that was opened in the late fifteenth century. However, the Ottoman historian Ibrahim Pecevi reported that in 1555 “a fellow called Hakam from Aleppo and a wag called Shams from Damascus came to the city; they each opened a large shop in the district called Tahtakale, and began to purvey coffee.”

The immense amount of trade between Venice and the Muslims in North Africa, Egypt and the East brought a variety of goods to Europe, including coffee. Coffee-drinking was introduced as something prestigious to wealthy Venetians which, in turn, allowed merchants to charge heavily. At this time controversy arose regarding whether or not it was acceptable to consume during Lent. Thankfully Pope Clement VIII settled the dispute in 1600, ruling that it was. Coffee’s popularity in Europe continued to grow and then, in 1645, the first European coffeehouse was opened in Venice.

Shortly after the opening of this coffeehouse in Venice, the first English coffeehouse, Oxford’s Queen’s Lane Coffee House, was established. The business is still in existence to this day, attracting connoisseurs and enthusiasts from around the world. At this time coffeehouses were known as ‘penny universities’ because a penny was charged for admission and a cup of coffee. It was here that the concept of tipping was formed. Signs reading ‘To Insure Promptitude’ were placed by a tin. Those patrons desiring prompt service and better seating threw coins into the tin. And so, the word ‘tip’ was created.

Coffee continued to spread like wildfire throughout Europe. At the end of the seventeenth century the Dutch became the first to commercially transport and cultivate the plants. In fact, they were among the first to defy the Arab prohibition on the exportation of unroasted seeds or plants by smuggling seedlings from the port of Mocha to the Dutch East Indies. The first attempt at cultivation in Java and Ceylon, Indonesia, was met with such success that the Dutch East India Company was able to supply the demand in Europe with ‘Java coffee’ by 1719.

About a year later seedlings found their way to Martinique in the Caribbean thanks to a French naval officer. Some fifty years later there were nearly 20,000 coffee trees on the island. In the meantime, coffee had made its way to Brazil by around 1727. A man named Francisco de Mello Palheta was sent to French Guinea by the Emperor of Brazil with strict instructions to obtain viable seeds. After some initial struggle and a few near-death experiences, Francisco succeeded in seducing the French Governor’s wife who, in turn, secretly sent seeds and shoots to him in Brazil. This initiated the Brazilian coffee industry, although it didn’t begin to truly prosper until a century later.

Coffee continued to grow and spread throughout South and then Central America until it finally reached North America during the Colonial period. Although one would assume that as soon as it reached North America this delectable beverage would quickly gather momentum, this was not the case. Interestingly enough, alcoholic beverages remained much more popular. However, when the Revolutionary War hit, the increased alertness that came from drinking coffee caused its demand to soar. When the British cut off access to tea imports during the War of 1812, Americans’ taste for coffee grew. That paired with the amplified demand during the American Civil War and brewing technological advances, later followed by prohibition, sealed coffee’s fate as an everyday commodity in the United States.

Today there are numerous blends, brands and brews that range from instant to premium or gourmet coffee. Some of the top-selling national brands are Maxwell House and Folgers Coffee while the premium names include Starbucks Coffee and Caribou Coffee. No matter the name, though, the historical journey holds true for all. So the next time you pour yourself a cup of gourmet coffee or order that caramel macchiato at the Starbucks drive-through, take a moment to appreciate those who made such delicious beverages not only possible, but everyday necessities in many people’s lives.

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Author: Mimi Naghshineh
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Is there such a thing as “Healthy Coffee”? What are the benefits of healthier coffee for your health?
In this article, I will cover some known facts about the standard unhealthy coffee. Then show you there is actually a healthier coffee available and what the benefits are when you start drinking this healthier coffee.

Some facts about Coffee
- Coffee is the second largest traded commodity in the world
- Second largest consumed product next to water being the number one.
- World wide, according to statistics from the International Coffee Organization, people drink about 1.4 billion cups of coffee a day. About 45 percent of it is consumed in the USA.

This is a huge industry and billions of dollars are being made every single day. Everyone knows ‘Star Bucks’ and ‘McDonalds (McCoffee)’. These two giant corporations sell coffee in many different flavors and they are not in the coffee business to make people more healthy. They knew the facts and created a billion dollar plus business, with billions of people world wide being addicted to coffee.

Why are people still drinking unhealthy coffee?
Simply because the caffeine has a stimulation effect on the body. The downside of this is you will need your fix on a regular basis.
Furthermore regular coffee:

* Dehydrates

* Is very acidic and toxic

* It raises blood pressure

* Your stress level increases

All the more reason to limit your daily coffee addiction or find a replacement.

Healthier Coffee
Being a heavy coffee drinker myself I hated instant coffee. This always had an after taste and did not even taste like the coffee I consumed on a daily basis. I know many of you can relate to having to have your morning cup of coffee in order to get your day started. I experienced stomach acid problems, did not get enough sleep and headaches which I all related back to the coffee I was drinking. A very good friend of mine let me taste a sample of what she called ‘Healthier Coffee’. It was instant coffee so yes I was a little bit skeptical, but I did drink it. The aroma and the coffee flavor was great! It tasted even better than my regular coffee brand.

After I discovered this healthier coffee, I did some research on it and found out that it hardly has any caffeine (superior brand of Arabica beans used). More importantly, it is infused with a herb called Ganoderma Lucidium, or red mushroom. This red mushroom has been used in China for over 4,000 years for medicinal purposes, also known as the ‘King of Herbs’. When you do some research on the internet, you will find many businesses who offer this healthier coffee, but only a few really use the power of the Ganoderma or Reishi (Japan) herb.

Healthy Coffee benefits
There has been extensive research to what effects this red mushroom has for your health, here is a list of what it can do for you and your body:

* It will give you more energy and reduce fatigue

* It will increase your brain activity

* Will make you feel young and refresh again

* Improves/boosts your immune system (good alternative for the swine flu too!)

* You will sleep better (For people who suffer from insomnia)

* Healthy weight loss (Instead of pills or other costly weight loss programs)

Conclusion
Regular coffee is not good for your health. In fact, it is damaging your body. So the choice is yours. If you would like to continue to enjoy the rich taste and aroma of gourmet coffee, then I suggest you switch to the healthier coffee with the herb extract in it.

Ganoderma Lucidium was exclusively used by the Chinese emperors for a reason! Compare all the health benefits from drinking healthier coffee versus regular coffee. You’ll be amazed with what it will do for you!

Being a heavy coffee drinker, I discovered the many benefits of drinking healthier coffee instead of regular coffee. I have created a website called The Healthy Coffee Club check it out and come on over to have a healthy cup of coffee and a nice chat! Live healthier!

Author: Cor Fransman
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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