Colombian Green Coffee Supplier Guide: Sourcing Supremo, Excelso and Specialty Arabica

What Is Colombian Arabica Green Coffee?

Colombian green coffee is washed Arabica grown in the Andes and exported unroasted, sold by bean size and preparation and backed by an export quality certificate issued in Colombia.

Green coffee is the raw, unroasted seed of the coffee cherry. Roasters, importers and blenders buy it green because it stores far better than roasted coffee, and they control the roast themselves. Colombia grows Arabica and is known for washed (wet-processed) coffee: the cherry is pulped, fermented, washed and dried before milling.

Origin carries legal weight. Café de Colombia was registered as a protected geographical indication (PGI) in the European Union in 2007 by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1050/2007, the first non-European food product to receive that status.^[2] Coffee sold under the name must be grown and processed in the defined Colombian coffee zone.

Colombia's coffee belt follows the three branches of the Andes. Main producing departments include Huila, Antioquia, Tolima, Cauca, Nariño, Santander, Valle del Cauca and the Eje Cafetero of Caldas, Risaralda and Quindío. Altitude, rainfall and microclimate vary sharply between them, which is why two Colombian lots of the same grade can cup very differently.

XRT Group coordinates Colombian Arabica origination from its Medellín hub, working with the Houston desk on contracts, documents and buyers in North America and Europe. You can review the full scope of support on our procurement services page. The first decision for any buyer is the grade.

What Is the Difference Between Colombian Supremo, Excelso and Specialty Coffee?

Supremo and Excelso describe bean size after screening, EP and UGQ describe how strictly defects are sorted out, and specialty lots are bought on cup score rather than size.

Colombian exports are classed by screen size, the hole diameter of the sorting sieve in 64ths of an inch. Larger, even beans roast more uniformly, so size carries a premium. Preparation then sets how many defective beans are tolerated.

Colombia's National Coffee Committee sets the minimum quality any coffee must meet to leave the country as Excelso. Its Resolution 2 of 2016 allowed a tolerance of up to 5% of sound smaller beans, while keeping the minimum requirements for moisture, defects, infestation, aroma, color and cup.^[3]

XRT Group quotes three Colombian lines: Colombian Excelso EP (Green Arabica), Colombian Supremo 17/18 (Green Arabica) and Colombian Specialty Arabica (SCA 84+). Grade sets the baseline, but timing sets availability.

When Is the Colombian Coffee Harvest: Main Crop and Mitaca?

Colombia harvests coffee in two peaks, a main crop from October to December and a smaller mitaca from April to June, so fresh-crop coffee is available more of the year than from most origins.

Because the coffee belt straddles the equator's rainy and dry seasons, Colombia does not have a single harvest. USDA describes a primary harvest from October to December and a secondary mitaca crop from April to June, concentrated in the central coffee region, with some areas harvesting year-round.^[1]

• Main crop: the largest volumes and widest grade choice; plan core contracts around it.
• Mitaca: a smaller second picking that keeps fresh coffee moving in the first half of the year.
• Regional timing: harvest windows shift by department and altitude, so confirm the crop period of the exact lot you are offered.

Supply is structurally fragmented. USDA estimates that around 60% of Colombian coffee is produced on less than 5 hectares.^[1] Exporters therefore consolidate many small farm deliveries of parchment coffee before dry milling, grading and bagging. That consolidation is where quality control matters most.

How Is Colombian Coffee Quality Checked Before Export?

Colombian green coffee exports are sampled by Almacafé for a Colombian quality certificate; buyers then add their own pre-shipment sample approval and, where needed, an independent inspection.

Colombia runs a formal export control. When coffee reaches the port or airport, Almacafé, the logistics arm of the National Federation of Coffee Growers (FNC), samples it and issues a quality certificate confirming it meets the National Coffee Committee's rules, alongside a reweigh certificate.^[4]

Internationally, ICO Resolution 420 sets target export standards for Arabica: no more than 86 defects per 300 g sample and moisture between 8% and 12.5%, measured under ISO 6673.^[5] Many buyers write a tighter moisture band, such as 10–12%, into the contract to protect the coffee in storage.

For specialty coffee, the cup decides the price. Lots scoring 80 points or more on the Specialty Coffee Association scale have long been treated as specialty grade. In November 2024 the SCA adopted the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA), which supersedes its 2004 cupping form and protocol.^[6] Agree which protocol and which Q grader will score the approval sample.

• Offer sample: evaluate grade, screen, moisture, defects and cup before you commit.
• Pre-shipment sample (PSS): approve a sample drawn from the milled lot before it is bagged and loaded.
• Independent inspection: XRT Group can arrange SGS, Bureau Veritas or Intertek to check weight, bagging and condition at loading. Our guide on how to read and verify an SGS inspection report shows what to look for.

How Is Colombian Green Coffee Packed and Shipped?

Colombian green coffee ships in 70 kg natural-fibre bags, often with hermetic liners for specialty lots, mainly from Buenaventura on the Pacific and Cartagena and Santa Marta on the Caribbean.

The Colombian standard is a 70 kg bag of fique, a natural fibre, measuring 70 by 95 cm; polypropylene bags, big bags and bulk container liners are also used.^[4] Statistics, by contrast, are reported in 60 kg bags, so convert carefully when comparing volumes. A 20-foot container commonly carries about 275 bags of 70 kg, roughly 19.25 MT.

• Hermetic liners such as GrainPro bags slow moisture exchange and are common for specialty and long-transit lots.
• Container lining with paper or cardboard, and desiccants where needed, reduces condensation damage at sea.
• Pacific port: Buenaventura is the main outlet for coffee from the southern and western growing regions.
• Caribbean ports: Cartagena and Santa Marta serve northern growing areas and Atlantic shipping lines.

Most Colombian green coffee trades FOB a Colombian port or CFR/CIF a destination port. Our Incoterms 2020 guide for commodity buyers explains where risk and cost pass under each term. With the physical side set, the next question is price.

How Is Colombian Green Coffee Priced?

Colombian green coffee is usually priced as the ICE Coffee "C" futures price plus a differential that reflects grade, quality, certification and shipment period.

The global benchmark for washed Arabica is the ICE Coffee "C" futures contract (KC), quoted in US cents per pound on lots of 37,500 lb. Colombia is a deliverable origin at a 1000-point (10 cents per pound) premium to the par origins.^[7]

Physical contracts add a differential to the futures price. Supremo, EP preparation, certifications and high cup scores raise it; commercial UGQ coffee sits lower. Specialty microlots are often sold at a fixed flat price instead of a differential.

Inside Colombia, the FNC publishes a daily domestic reference price for parchment coffee, built from the ICE "C" close, the peso exchange rate and the Colombian differential, and backs it with a purchase guarantee for growers.^[8] That floor shapes what exporters must pay farmers and therefore what they can offer. Our commodity pricing benchmarks guide covers how to fix price against a futures market.

• Price-to-be-fixed (PTBF): agree the differential now, fix the futures price later within an agreed window.
• Outright: fix futures and differential together at signing.
• Flat price: a single fixed price per pound or per kilogram, common for specialty lots.

What Documents and Compliance Rules Apply to Colombian Coffee Imports?

Expect an ICO certificate of origin, an Almacafé quality certificate and an ICA phytosanitary certificate from Colombia, plus FDA Prior Notice and FSVP for the US or EUDR due diligence for the EU.

On the Colombian side, the exporter announces the sale to the FNC, pays the coffee contribution, and obtains the reweigh and Almacafé quality certificates. The FNC then issues the ICO certificate of origin, and green coffee needs an ICA phytosanitary certificate.^[4] Commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading complete the set.

United States. Every food shipment, including green coffee, needs FDA Prior Notice, filed and confirmed at least 8 hours before arrival by water.^[9] The US importer also owes a Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP); for raw coffee that is roasted before consumption, FDA's rule offers simplified paths when a later processor controls the hazard and this is disclosed in the documents.^[10]

European Union. Coffee is a commodity under the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Regulation (EU) 2025/2650 set its application date at 30 December 2026 for large and medium operators and traders and 30 June 2027 for micro and small operators.^[11] Importers need plot geolocation and a due diligence statement for each lot. Our EUDR deadline guide walks through the data requirements, which apply to coffee in the same way.

Certifications such as Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade and organic are available on a lot basis. Ask for the current certificate and transaction documents with each offer, since certification belongs to the producer group, not the grade.

How Do You Buy Colombian Green Coffee Step by Step?

Define the grade and cup profile, screen the exporter, approve samples, fix the price basis, then inspect and document every lot before it ships.

A Colombian coffee purchase runs from sample to shipment over several weeks, and each step protects quality or cash. A clear tender saves time; our commodity procurement RFP template shows how to structure one.

The steps below follow the order most roasters and importers use. You can start the process through our request for quotation form.

1. 1

   Define the grade, profile and volume

   State the grade (Supremo 17/18, Excelso EP or UGQ, or specialty score range), region if required, moisture band, certifications, number of bags or containers and shipment months.

2. 2

   Screen the exporter

   Confirm the exporter is registered with the FNC as a coffee exporter, and complete KYC/AML and sanctions checks in line with FATF guidance.

3. 3

   Approve offer and pre-shipment samples

   Cup and grade the offer sample, then approve a pre-shipment sample drawn from the milled lot, using an agreed cupping protocol and Q grader.

4. 4

   Agree the price basis and incoterm

   Set the ICE Coffee "C" contract month and differential, or a flat price, plus the incoterm (FOB Cartagena or Buenaventura, CFR or CIF destination) and payment terms.

5. 5

   Prepare compliance files

   Collect EUDR geolocation and due diligence data for EU shipments, or set up FSVP records and FDA Prior Notice for US shipments.

6. 6

   Inspect, load and release documents

   Check the Almacafé quality certificate, arrange independent inspection of weight and bagging if needed, and release payment against the certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate and bill of lading.

7. 7

   Receive and check arrival quality

   On arrival, test moisture and cup an arrival sample against the approved pre-shipment sample, then store bags cool, dry and off the floor.

What Are the Best Practices for Sourcing Colombian Green Coffee?

The strongest Colombian coffee programs buy on measurable grade and cup specs, contract across main crop and mitaca, and settle compliance data before the coffee leaves the mill.

• Buy on specification: write screen, preparation, moisture, defect count and cup score into the contract, not just "Excelso".
• Spread shipments: split volume across main crop and mitaca to smooth freshness and price risk.
• Manage price risk: use price-to-be-fixed contracts and an agreed fixation window rather than guessing the C market.
• Approve before loading: never ship without an approved pre-shipment sample from the actual lot.
• Settle compliance early: collect EUDR geolocation or FSVP records before contracting, not at the port.

Counterparty checks matter as much as cup quality. Our KYC and AML guide for direct-origin buyers sets out what a supplier file should contain.

When you are ready to source, the Coffee Desk, coordinated between Medellín and Houston, answers buyer inquiries in under 4 business hours. Contact the Coffee Desk with your grade, volume, destination and shipment window, or browse all product lines.