SCAA Coffee Buyer Class Descriptions

 

CB200 Mill to Roaster: Green Coffee Price & Contract Impacts

This class introduces students to the definition, history, and professional concepts behind managing the flow of coffee from seed to cup. It covers the part after farming and processing when coffee beans arrive at the roasting facility for the next process. CB200 explores in detail the financial, time, and quality implications at each stage in the green coffee supply chain from the time coffee might be contracted: coffee cherry to consuming country warehouse.

 

CB205 Green Coffee Buying Essentials

This class provides instruction and activities to help green coffee buyers gain competency in using accepted terminology of the green coffee market, having tools for negotiating and purchasing effectively, and buying green coffee through spot, forward, and direct purchases successfully. Students have to complete the prerequisite classes (CB100 and CB200) which provide a solid foundation for understanding green coffee contracts before taking this class.

 

CB206 Green Coffee Market Dynamics Explained

This class provides foundation information about the ‘C’-Market, the basis for green coffee buying in the world. Every roaster has different needs and approaches to risk management, and roasters may not be aware of the financial tools available to them through their importers. This class covers important concepts that help green coffee buyers make sound purchasing and planning decisions that are critical for the financial well-being and profitability of any coffee operation, which include:

  • Cash vs. Futures Markets
  • Distinctions between Forward and Futures Contracts
  • ‘C’ Market Overview and Primer
  • Brief History of ‘C’
  • ICE Exchange
  • Other International Markets
  • Factors that impacts the ‘C’ price

 

CB230 Production and Inventory Control Practices

This class lays the foundation of common practices of efficiency in the recognized field of production and inventory control (PIC), by helping students understand and utilize formal methods of properly managing raw materials from source to customer as part of the manufacturing process, in order to improve quality and profitability. It first provides an overview of Supply Chain Management, then proceeds to cover the essential components of PIC in depth, such as process design, bills of materials, process information, controls, manpower, inventory tracking, and others. Advice on information systems (software) and information for integrating a PIC system into an organization are also included in this class.

 

CB236 Buying on Green Coffee Market Principles

This class helps students understand the ‘C’-market by exploring differentials in depth and demystifying Open to Be Fixed Contracts. After going over tools and vocabulary for Open to Be Fixed Contracting buying, students will use case studies and role play as an avenue to practice purchasing calculations and strategies that can be applied to their workplaces. Students are required to attend the CB206 class and other online prerequisites as they provide essential knowledge that help students to understand the layer information of this class.

 

CB237 Green Coffee Purchasing Strategies

This class is a primer for roasters and importers to determine a purchasing strategy. It covers usage, planning, buying, blending, bag sizes, shrink, spreads, carrying charges, fixing prices, different types of contracts for different purchases, and the pros and cons of each. It is the final class of the SCAA Coffee Buyer Pathway Level 1 course, and CB100-CB236 classes must be taken prior to taking this class.