Cup of Excellence & Alliance for Coffee Excellence Announce New Auction Platform with M-Cultivo
The nonprofits Cup of Excellence (CoE) and Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) have partnered with technology services company M-Cultivo to launch a new auction platform aimed at improving market access and financial compensation for coffee producers while creating more transparency and connections in the supply chain. The new auction platform will open with the Costa Rica National Winner auction that runs from August 1st – August 12th and the Nicaragua National Winner auction that runs from August 1st – 12th. The new platform will host the first CoE auction with Nicaragua on August 4th. The partnership with M-Cultivo, formed in 2021, will also extend to other technology services that support the organization’s mission of rewarding and recognizing quality coffee producers.
“We’re honored to partner with Cup of Excellence and the Alliance for Coffee Excellence as their new technology services partner. Our goal is to support COE and ACE as they expand their auction and event services to better scale their market access and financial impact for coffee producers. M-Cultivo is thrilled to build an evolved, scaled model for various auction types that not only provides more opportunities for quality discovery and direct-trade relationships but will provide a more streamlined user experience for buyers. We look forward to working alongside and enhancing the auction experience for all stakeholders in the auction process,” said David Paparelli, Founder and CEO of M-Cultivo.
With features including an integrated payment option for buyers and a robust back-end lot management for in-country organizations and producers, the auction platform will support increased financial reward and better margins for producers while creating efficiencies in the auction process, logistics, and sample set management.
The new platform will offer a check-out process on winning bids with multiple payment options including credit card and wire transfers. Credit card fees will be passed on to the buyer to avoid extra costs for producers. Shipping options will also be expanded and managed directly at check out allowing buyers to select options including air-freight, consolidated air-freight, ocean freight, and self-managed. Information about the winning coffee and photos of the producers will be displayed by each lot. Bidders will also enjoy customizable auto-bidding by choosing increment levels and maximum bids. Lastly, there will be an on-demand support chat and resource center.
“This work and partnership with MCultivo in building a platform together to meet the needs of our principle partners, the coffee producers whom we serve, is vital to our mission. As a non-profit, we feel this work with a group committed to enriching farmer livelihoods is key to our strategic plan for the future,” said Darrin Daniel, Executive Director, Alliance for Coffee Excellence and Cup of Excellence.
Along with the new auction platform, the organizations – which launched a Brazil Select Marketplace pilot program in late 2021 – will also focus on other technology services to better forge direct-trade relationships. Following the pilot program in Brazil, an Ethiopia Select Marketplace will feature over 80 individual farmers, dramatically increasing the market reach and securing higher premiums for producers who entered the CoE program. This direct–to-roaster marketplace for coffee vetted by Ethiopia National Jurists will run from August 8th to September 15, 2022.
For more information about the new auction platform and marketplace, please visit http://mcultivo.com/ to register for an auction, please visit https://allianceforcoffeeexcellence.org/
Upcoming ACE & CoE Auctions with M-Cultivo:
Nicaragua
Cup of Excellence: August 4
National Winner: August 1 – 12
Costa Rica
Cup of Excellence: August 11
National Winner: August 1 – 12
Honduras
Cup of Excellence: August 16
National Winner: August 8 – 19
Ethiopia
Cup of Excellence: August 23
National Winner: August 15 – 26
Colombia
Cup of Excellence: November 22
Brazil
Cup of Excellence: December 1
National Winner: November 28 – December 9
Peru
Cup of Excellence: December 6
National Winner: December 1 – 9
Ecuador
Cup of Excellence: December 14
Silvio Leite’s Secret Treasures, Brazil
Private Collection Auction: December 20
Los Rodriguez, Bolivia
Private Collection Auction: January 19
Indonesia
Cup of Excellence: February 28
National Winner: February 20 – March 3
About M-Cultivo
M-Cultivo provides coffee producers technology services to digitalize their supply chains, offering them better opportunities to compete more fully in the global marketplace. The primary ways we partner with coffee producers are through supply chain management technologies tailored specifically to coffee production, and access-to-market solutions that provide commerce enablement like our Auctions and Marketplaces.
About Cup of Excellence®
Cup of Excellence (CoE) is a nonprofit 501c (3) tax-exempt organization that owns and manages the Cup of Excellence® competition process, conducts training, testing, research projects, and other activities designed to increase the discovery and recognition of handcrafted coffees, high-quality farmers and the appreciation of exemplary coffees worldwide. For more information, please visit cupofexcellence.org.
About The Alliance for Coffee Excellence
The Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) is a nonprofit 501c (6) tax-exempt organization dedicated to the discovery, appreciation, and reward for top-quality coffees. Its mission to support excellence in coffee includes trading and auction activities that result in the development of higher incomes and sustainable economic development for its partner coffee-producing countries. ACE conducts transparent auctions rewarding individual farmers who work hard to produce exemplary coffees including Cup of Excellence® competition winners, Private Collection Auctions and others that meet its requirements. ACE also conducts cuppings, marketing, events, training, and other activities designed to increase understanding, appreciation, and premiums for exemplary coffee worldwide. ACE enjoys a global membership of top-tier coffee companies. For more information visit allianceforcoffeeexcellence.org.
