Coffee Trading Academy

Hey and Welcome back to "The Coffee Trading Academy" podcast, where we discuss the global coffee market with some of the greatest commodity trading minds of the industry. Today, we have a chat with one of the great connectors of the coffee trading world, Mr. Andrew Kerr. Andrew is the founder of the renowned recruiting group OCR Commodities. I was keen to do this interview because Andrew has a very unique perspective on what it takes to succeed as a commodity trader. Not only has Andrew worked as a trusted advisor to some of the best commodity trading firms in the world, placing traders in key roles at all levels of the industry; he also worked for nearly 20 years as a floor trader. The trading pits have a certain mystique for those of us who started after the conversion to electronic trading. Mr Kerr spent many years on the floor of those legendary trading pits beginning in 1992, both trading his own book, and brokering trades for others. nearly two decades later Andrew pivoted to the recruitment space when he launched OCR Commodities that has grown to be a leader in the field. The combination of Andrew's experience in trading, consulting and recruiting gives him a unique perspective on what makes a successful trader. He was not only mentored by great traders in the trading pits, but he has also placed traders of all levels in positions at top companies. Over the last 15 years, he has made it his business to observe what traits are essential to rise to the top. So whether you are looking for tips to break into the industry or you are a seasoned veteran looking for war stories and insights, pull up a chair and listen in as we discuss the market, the trade and lessons learned. Ladies and gentlemen, without further adieu, Andrew Kerr.

We are going to kick off our January 2025 by analyzing the historic year of 2024 when coffee rallied to record highs. We will dissect the 3 rallies we witnessed last year, as well as the all important context that led up to the record-breaking prices. Finally, we will share with you our lessons learned from 2024 and what signals we need to watch out for in 2025.

We have had a dramatic first half of the year with prices dipping below 180c, rallying up above 250c, back below 200 and now rallying again. In this episode, we break down the recent price fluctuations, the significant role of certified inventories in the inversion and calendar spread crisis, the weather problems in Vietnam and now bean size issues in Brazil. We'll also touch on some of the latest crop reports for these two origins and what these developments mean for coffee prices.

Hey and welcome back to another episode of "The Coffee Trading Academy" podcast, where we discuss the global coffee market with some of the greatest commodity trading minds of the industry. Today, we are excited to sit down with the esteemed Alex Gruber, a true sage and expert of the Vietnamese coffee industry. With over three decades of coffee experience spanning the globe, Alex's journey in coffee began as a young Swiss trainee back in 1990, taking him on adventures from Sierra Leone to Mexico, and eventually landing him in Vietnam where he has held excutive roles in multiple coffee roasting and trading enterprises for the last 20 years. Currently, as Director of Artis Trading and Chairman of Alambé in Vietnam, Alex is at the forefront of one of the most dynamic green coffee markets in recent history. But that's not all! Alex is also spearheading a groundbreaking joint venture called Elite Insights, in partnership with none other than us here at the Coffee Trading Academy. Elite Insights is revolutionizing the way we understand the Vietnamese coffee market, where Alex and his team provide first hand crop research and insights powered by decades of experience in Vietnamese coffee trading and analysis. Join us as we delve into today's pressing topics, from the dynamics of the robusta market to the unprecedented high differentials in Vietnam, to the game-changing research brought to you by Elite Insights. Get ready for an enlightening conversation that promises to uncover the mysteries of the coffee world.

We are excited to share with you our latest discussion where Igor and I discuss what the heck is going on in coffee? And there is a lot going on right now. Today is a historic day in the coffee market because it is the last day that recertifications are possible and not only that but we are seeing new coffees being submitted for grading. In this episode we discuss the three types of inventory that are relevant for us to understand in the coffee market, what our expectations are for these inventories and what it means for coffee prices.

In this engaging podcast episode, we speak with Jim Roemer, a seasoned meteorologist and commodity analyst to delve deep into the fascinating intersection of weather forecasting and its profound impact on agricultural commodities. Jim brings his extensive background and innovative weather models to the forefront in this conversation. He shares insights into how various climate phenomena, including El Niño and La Niña, teleconnections, and weather patterns, can significantly influence commodity markets such as coffee, grains, and natural gas. We discuss various climate phenomena, including El Niño and La Niña, teleconnections, and weather patterns, and how they wield substantial influence over commodity markets such as coffee, grains, and natural gas. We also cover essential current event topics such as early flowering in Brazil and the possibility that a strong El Niño event could create drought in Asia, Africa and the Americas as well as other far-reaching impacts in coffee origins across the globe. We will also get a peek inside Jim's methodology and the thought process behind his proprietary software and exclusive "Weather Wealth" newsletter, a treasure trove of weather forecasts, trading strategies, and market analysis. Whether you're a trader looking for insights into weather shocks, a producer worried about the possibility of drought or a roaster trying to secure your coffee supply chain, this podcast will hit you like a hurricane of commodity weather expertise.

In the third What the Heck episode, Igor and I discuss the concepts of tenderable parity and #ElNino, exploring their historical significance. We cover everything from, the global impacts of #ElNino on various coffee origins and reveal the core idea behind tenderable parity. Check out the podcast to find out: what the heck is going on in coffee?

Hey and welcome back to "The Coffee Trading Academy" podcast, where we delve into the fascinating world of coffee with some of the greatest minds in the industry. Today we are extremely fortunate to have the renowned Ana Wilks of NKG, the Neuman Kaffee Gruppe. Ana has over two decades of experience as a coffee market researcher, with much of that experience at Neuman, one of the top coffee trading firms in the world. She is currently the Head of Research at the NKG Statistical Unit but she also has the unique experience of having worked as a coffee trader for nearly a decade. With the these two experiences of trading and research combined, Ana possesses a deep understanding of the industry's intricacies, unparalleled insight into the market and most importantly the rare ability to be able to communicate these complex concepts effectively. Join us as we explore today's essential topics, from the issue of coffee farmer poverty to the Robusta markets rally to historical highs. We discuss the pervasive inversion and certified stocks crisis in Arabica, her expectations for the future in that market, and we conclude with the human qualities of what it takes to succeed in the world of coffee trading and research.

Hey there Coffee Ninjas, welcome back to the Coffee Trading Academy podcast! Today's episode is called "What the heck is going on in coffee?" where we discuss....well, what the heck is going on in the coffee market. And there is a lot going on from volatility and drama in the robuista calendar spreads to controversy over the Brazil crop and demand rotation. That's right, we're diving deep into the ever-changing coffee market and exploring the exciting opportunities that are emerging. But don't worry, even though we get into some pretty sophisticated topics, Igor and I like to keep things light-hearted, fun, and easy to understand. From fundamental analysis to technical analysis to crop forecasts, we'll be discussing it all. And if you're interested in learning more about the coffee market and how to analyze it, don't forget Our coffee traders course is coming up in just over a week, from April 10-14. Head on over to www.coffeetradingacademy.com to see if you can secure a seat. Plus, for our premium clients, we offer exclusive weekly videos where we talk all about the coffee market and its exciting developments. You can sample free trial of this material at the same website: www.coffeetradingacademy.com So without further ado lets find out what the heck is going on in coffee?

We have with us today, a gentleman who is a Colombian Coffee expert, coffee executive trained by the biggest companies in coffee and a successful, serial coffee trading entrepreneur. This trading expert is the founder and CEO of an independent coffee exporter in Colombia with over 20 years in the business. He has worked for coffee trading giants ECOM, Dreyfus and Noble and was mentored by some of the great names in Coffee like Hank Dunlop of ECOM Daniel Jaccard of Dreyfus. His current business, Integra Trading is the 3rd successful coffee exporting company that he has founded in Colombia and today he is going to provide us with answers to the burning questions of the present Colombian coffee market and the future of Arabica futures. In this interview we cover topics including his take on the disastrous weather problems Colombia has faced over the last 2 years, his expectations for Colombian crop production, and his unique insight into what it takes to be successful in coffee trading.

This is a very special episode for me because today we talk to one of the man who introduced me to the wonderful world of coffee, Mr. Roland Veit. Roland recently celebrated 50 years in the coffee trade starting with Nestle in Switzerland, and ultimately ending up in New York where he founded Paragon Coffee. Paragon was a major pioneer in the specialty coffee world as they helped to bring America out of the dark ages of cheap, low-quality coffee and into a new era of flavor diversity and commitment to quality. Paragon Coffee also sets itself apart as being a popular and well-respected importer that is independent from the multi-nationals. In this episode, Roland walks us through his career, what it takes to make a successful trading company in coffee and what qualities make for successful coffee traders.

In this episode we start with the hailstorm in Brazil that just happened a couple days ago, we look at the certified inventory, the addition of pending stocks and the impact on calendar spreads, we look at macro economics and the impact of currencies on coffee and commodities and we conclude with a talk of key support levels and the analog with the Coffee Rally of 2014.

In the 9th episode of our podcast series (translated from Portuguese), our guest was Adilson Machado, COCAPEC's trading desk manager. Adilson is a specialist in risk management and derivatives operations with extensive experience in trading and logistics. In this episode, he gives us his view on the Brazilian climate scenario, the 2022 and 2023 crops, how demand has been behaving, macroeconomic influences on the market, positioning and more.

In this podcast in Claudio Ribeiro, Expocaccer's coffee trader, discusses different aspects of the market, such as climate, macroeconomics, logistics scenario, prospects for the market, demand and more.

Pleased to share episode 7 of the Coffee Trading Academy Podcast with world-renowned and respected, Hannah Rizki, head of Global Coffee Research at Volcafe Ltd. Volcafe (ED&F Man's Coffee Unit), is one of the largest coffee trade houses in the world. They are well-respected for their acumen in trading coffee as well as their commitment to the farmer and sustainability through the VolcafeWay program. Across her decade-plus years of working at ED&F Man, Hannah has provided cutting edge research and forecasts on the coffee market for some of the powerhouses of coffee and commodity trading. In this interview we talk about her views on the coffee market, her methodology and resources, as well as what characteristics she has seen in the qualities that make for great traders and successful analysts.

In this 50 minute podcast, Heberson Sastre, head coffee trader at Minasul - Cooperativa Agroindustrial de Varginha discusses his outlook on the market and the advice that he gives to the Brazilian coffee farmer. In this interview, we discusses his view on the 22 and 23 crops, calendar spreads, and his price outlook for the #coffeemarket and the Brazilian Real #BRL.

Hello and welcome back to episode 5 of the coffee trading academy podcast. The harvest of the infamous 22/23 Brazil crop is less than 1 month away, and today we have on an expert who is fresh off the plane from his crop tour there. This gentleman is a 15 year, veteran, coffee researcher and current head of Rabobank's agricultural commodities research division, in this episode, Carlos Mera provides a detailed update on his findings and expectations for the coffee crop in Brazil, he provides his anlaysis and forecast on the global logistical problems, he breaks down the economics of the Brazilian Real, he recounts how he developed a team of commodity researchers and of course we conclude by peering into his crystal ball and seeing his price forecast for coffee. Ladies and gentleman, without further adieu, Mr. Carlos Mera.

Hey and welcome back to episode 4 of the Coffee Trading Academy podcast. Today we have on a special guest who without exaggeration is probably the most famous Cocoa Trader who has ever lived. When I first joined the coffee business in 2010, all that anyone could talk about was Anthony Ward and his latest trade in the cocoa market. Anthony's trading career in cocoa spanned 40 years and also includes 30 years of successful coffee and sugar trading. The reason I call Anthony the most famous cocoa trader of all time is because of a series massive physical trades he conducted from the 1990s through the first decade of the 21st century where he essentially cornered the market, earning rich profits and significant media attention. Anthony is a fascinating individual for a lot of reasons, but what struck me was his commitment to the fundamentals. Anthony's best trades were made based on deep fundamental analysis, but more than that, an understanding of the connection between futures and physicals. In this episode he's going to tell us about his background, his philosophy, some of his biggest trades and where he sees the coffee and cocoa markets headed in the next few months. Ladies and gentlemen, without further adieu, Mr. Anthony Ward.

Thiago Marques Cazarini, the founder of one of the top coffee brokers based out of Brazil, and author of the no-nonsense Cazarini Report, delivers his take on the Brazil coffee market. In this in-depth podcast, we cover a range of topics: specifics about the #coffee crop in Brazil, the surprising number for the past and current crops, as well as how his thinking on the 22 crop has changed. We also touch on the logistical situation, producer sentiment and outlook for the #BRL. We conclude with price projections for 2022.

Welcome back to episode 2 of the Coffee Trading Academy podcast. This episode was recorded on October 7th with the famous Soft Commodity Researcher Steve Wateridge of Tropical Research Services. Now I do Steve's intro in the interview itself so I won't rehash that here, but we cover a lot of ground...from how Steve got into the business and what it takes to be a crop forecasting guru to some key origins like of course Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia, and we even touch some more controversial topics like the role of hedge funds, the trade and market manipulation. So this is a great episode and I hope you enjoy it, without further adieu: Steve Waterdige of Tropical Research.

In this inaugural episode of the Coffee Trading Academy Podcast, we kick off our first episode with a fantastic guest, the one and only David Streit, COO and founding member of Commodity Weather Group. David has been a commodity meteorologist for 40 years, in this wide ranging interview we cover general advice that any coffee analyst or trader needs to know, but also the specifics of what's happening right now in the key coffee origins. We cover the Brazil frosts, how that unfolded and what the impact is, we cover the Brazil droughts and what the issue is with the upcoming rains, we cover the weather in Vietnam and the outlook for the crop there, the Indian monsoons and Colombia. This is truly a coffee market geek's dream and I am sure that you will enjoy it as much as I did!