Buying Kenyan Green Coffee: Sample Approval Checklist & Supply Enquiry

Looking to buy Kenyan green coffee for importing or roasting? Use this commercial sample-approval checklist to compare an offer, prepare an RFQ and decide whether a lot matches your buying brief. It connects the sample to traceable lot information, physical assessment, sensory evaluation, packaging and shipment approval.

This checklist is for green coffee importers, roasters and procurement teams. The buyer and supplier should agree the methods, thresholds and acceptance point for each transaction. Specialty, commercial and programme coffees may require different evidence.

1. Write the buyer brief before evaluating samples

The brief should explain the intended use and the commercial result the buyer needs. Avoid relying on broad words such as “specialty”, “premium” or “top grade” without defining how they will be assessed.

• Intended use: filter, espresso, blend component or another programme
• Preferred grade or screen preparation
• Origin, growing area, producer or cooperative information required
• Crop reference and acceptable harvest period
• Processing method, such as washed or natural, where specified
• Target cup profile and any disqualifying sensory characteristics
• Moisture, water activity or other physical requirements where applicable
• Defect method and permitted tolerance
• Bag type, liner, net weight, markings and pallet requirements
• Indicative volume, shipment window and destination

For an overview of Kenyan grades, processing and the information to include in a buying brief, read our Kenyan coffee grades and buyer specifications guide.

2. Confirm exactly what the sample represents

Every sample should be identified before it is opened. The label and accompanying offer should state whether it is an offer sample, a pre-shipment sample or an arrival sample. Those sample types answer different questions and should not be treated as interchangeable.

• Supplier and buyer sample references
• Lot number or other traceable identity
• Producer, cooperative, washing station or source details where available
• Country, region and subregion where stated
• Crop reference and processing method
• Grade or screen preparation
• Number of bags, bag weight and total offered quantity
• Date and method of sampling

If the lot changes after approval, the supplier should disclose the change and the buyer should decide whether a new sample is required.

3. Complete a documented physical assessment

The physical review should use methods agreed in the contract or buying protocol. The record may include:

• Screen distribution or preparation
• Moisture result and test method
• Water activity where required by the buyer
• Density or other programme-specific measurements
• Defect count, defect categories and sample weight
• Bean appearance, colour and uniformity
• Evidence of foreign matter, contamination or abnormal odour

A result is only useful when another evaluator can understand how it was produced. Record the sample weight, equipment, method and date instead of reporting a number without context. The Specialty Coffee Association’s official standards page is a useful reference for current standards and standards under development, but the contract should identify the method actually adopted by the parties.

4. Roast and cup under a repeatable protocol

Sensory results can shift when roast development, rest time, grind, water, temperature or evaluation conditions change. The buyer should use a consistent protocol and document the variables needed to repeat the assessment.

1. Assign a sample code and keep the lot identity with the record.
2. Record the sample-roast profile and any obvious roast inconsistency.
3. Use the agreed rest period, grind and water preparation.
4. Evaluate coded samples where practical to reduce expectation bias.
5. Use more than one cup or replicate when the buying protocol requires it.
6. Record fragrance, aroma, flavour, acidity, body, aftertaste, sweetness, balance and any defects relevant to the protocol.
7. Describe the cup as well as recording a score; a single total can hide commercial differences.
8. Record the names or roles of the evaluators and the evaluation date.

The SCA explains its evolving sensory and physical evaluation framework on the official Coffee Value Assessment page. Buyers should use the current method relevant to their programme and ensure both parties understand how approval will be judged.

5. Separate offer, pre-shipment and arrival approval

Offer sample

The offer sample helps the buyer decide whether to pursue the lot and negotiate terms. It should be representative of the quantity offered, but approval should state how long the offer remains valid and whether the lot may be sold elsewhere.

Pre-shipment sample

The pre-shipment sample is used to confirm that the coffee prepared for dispatch matches the agreed contract and approved reference. It should be tied to the shipment lot and sampled using the agreed method. The contract should say whether written approval is required before loading.

Arrival sample

The arrival sample helps identify whether the delivered coffee remains within the agreed condition and specification. It should be sampled promptly and handled under a documented procedure, especially when a claim may follow.

6. Agree acceptance terms before the purchase contract

A sample can meet expectations yet still create a dispute when the contract is vague. Record:

• Which sample is the approved reference
• How long the approval or offer is valid
• Permitted variation in physical and sensory results
• The inspection and transfer point
• Whether an independent assessment is required
• Who retains sealed reference samples and for how long
• Time limits and evidence required for a claim
• The remedy if the shipment is outside the agreed tolerance

Kenya’s Agriculture and Food Authority describes its official coffee-sector functions, including regulation of production, processing, marketing, grading, storage and transport, on the AFA Coffee Directorate mandate page. Buyers should also confirm the current import, food-safety, customs and documentation requirements for their destination.

7. Final coffee sample approval checklist

1. Buyer brief is complete and measurable.
2. Sample type and lot identity are recorded.
3. Origin, crop, process and grade information are confirmed where available.
4. Physical assessment follows the agreed method.
5. Roast and cupping conditions are documented.
6. Cup description and any defects are recorded, not only the total score.
7. Result is compared with the approved reference and contract tolerance.
8. Packaging, bag weight, liner and lot markings are confirmed.
9. Required certification and shipment documents are identified.
10. Approval, conditional approval or rejection is dated and authorised.

Request Kenyan green coffee supply from Afrisun Orchards

Review Afrisun Orchards’ Kenyan coffee sourcing and export page for buyer information, quality-control steps and the details we request before confirming supply. International buyers can also use our coffee import requirements guide as a planning aid, while confirming current destination rules independently.

Ready to source Kenyan green coffee? Request current coffee availability, samples and a buyer quotation. Include your destination, intended use, grade or screen preference, processing method, cup profile, volume and required shipment window.