The organizers of the Cup of Excellence (CoE) coffee competition and auction program are switching online auction providers in 2025, partnering with V-Auction, part of the logistics conglomerate Vollers Group.
The terms of the deal were undisclosed, although it represents a reunion, of sorts. Vollers Group acquired and rebranded former CoE online auction provider Sensible Development in late 2023.
“This collaboration ensures a seamless, exceptional auction experience and in addition supports the exploration and execution of additional programs that can enhance long term gains for both farmers and buyers,” Cup of Excellence Executive Director Erwin Mierisch said in an announcement of the new V-Auction partnership.
The deal brings to an end Cup of Excellence’s auction supply deal with M-Cultivo, a third-party online auction provider that first signed on with CoE in late 2022.
“While we are not involved in this year’s Cup of Excellence auctions, we are excited to continue supporting the coffee community and the great coffee producers the industry owes so much to,” M-Cultivo CEO David Paparelli said in a separate announcement this week.
M-Cultivo said it plans to continue powering high-end coffee auctions such as Best of Panama, The Dubai Coffee Auction, Colombia Land of Diversity, Best of Rwanda and Best of Ecuador.
The Cup of Excellence program, which turns 25 this year, is designed to build premium market connections between coffee farmers and buyers, with each competition and auction involving a single country and in-country partners.
The international online auctions routinely fetch exponentially higher prices than traditional market channels, with some buyers paying hundreds of dollars (US) per pound for microlots.
For 2025 into early 2026, Cup of Excellence currently has 11 auctions scheduled. The first auction under V-Auction’s purview comes June 19 with the Nicaragua Cup of Excellence.
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