Specialist · 2 days
Coffee Economics
Follow the money from the farm gate to the cup: how coffee is priced, where value is created, and who keeps it.
- Level
- Specialist
- Duration
- 2 days
- Format
- In person · Online
- Teaching
- Theory
- Certificate
- SCA certificate
- Materials
- Theory handout + presentation
- Before you start
- Sustainability Foundation
The SCA Coffee Sustainability Program
Foundation first, then any order.
Four theory courses. Foundation is the prerequisite for the three specialist courses.
- Start · 1 dayFoundationSee the course
- Specialist · 2 daysClimate & CoffeeSee the course
- Specialist · 2 daysCoffee EconomicsYou are here
- Specialist · 2 daysCompliance, Governance & ReportingSee the course
What you’ll learn
By the end of the course, you can:
- 01
Explain how the C Market works and why coffee prices are so volatile.
- 02
Understand futures, differentials and the main ways coffee is priced.
- 03
Describe the tools buyers and sellers use to manage price risk.
- 04
Break down a farm's costs of production and what drives profitability.
- 05
Trace how value is created, delivered and shared along the value chain.
- 06
Explain living wage and living income and why they matter.
- 07
Compare alternative trade models, direct trade and profit-sharing approaches.
- 08
Build a business case that links sustainability to profitability.
Who it’s for
- Green coffee buyers, traders, importers and exporters.
- Roasters setting prices and sourcing policies.
- Producers and cooperatives who want to understand their numbers.
- Business owners who want to make the case for responsible pricing.
Before you come
- SCA Coffee Sustainability Foundation.
- Green Coffee Foundation is helpful but not required.
Taught by
Maryam Tabatabaei
Authorized SCA Trainer, licensed Q Arabica Grader and Q Instructor, and the UAE’s first SCA Coffee Sustainability Program trainer. Judge at the UAE National Roasting Championship, January 2026.
Small groups, in Persian or English. You learn on the floor, not just from slides.
Her story and certificatesQuestions
Before you book.
Who teaches this course?
Maryam Tabatabaei, the UAE’s first SCA Coffee Sustainability Program trainer. She teaches it in person in the UAE and live online for learners anywhere in the world.
How long is the course?
Two days, with a minimum of 16 hours of live teaching as set by the SCA.
Is this a trading course?
No. It explains how pricing and markets work so you can make better and fairer decisions. It is not training for speculating on futures.
Can I take it online?
Yes. Maryam teaches it live online or in person in the UAE.
How does it fit with the Green Coffee courses?
They complement each other. Green Coffee covers quality, grading and logistics; Coffee Economics covers price, cost and value. Many buyers take both.
Something else? Ask Maryam on WhatsApp.