B2B Sourcing / Buyer Checklist7 min read

10 Questions to Ask Before Sourcing Fine Robusta from Cambodia

Short answer: Before sourcing Fine Robusta from Cambodia, buyers should verify the exact lot, available volume, harvest and processing data, quality...

/OCC Team

Short answer: Before sourcing Fine Robusta from Cambodia, buyers should verify the exact lot, available volume, harvest and processing data, quality evidence, traceability, sample representativeness, export capability, packing, commercial terms, and the supplier’s ability to repeat the specification. These ten questions turn an interesting origin story into a procurement decision.

Cambodia is still an emerging coffee origin. That makes good questions more valuable than broad assumptions.

1. What exact coffee am I buying?

Ask the supplier to identify:

region;
producer or producer group;
harvest year;
lot number;
variety where known;
processing method;
current location of the coffee.

Avoid approving a purchase based only on “Cambodian Fine Robusta” or “Mondulkiri coffee.” Those descriptions may be useful for marketing, but they are not enough to control a commercial lot.

A buyer should be able to connect the sample, quotation, contract, pre-shipment approval, and delivered bags to the same lot identity.

2. How much of this exact lot is available?

Ask for current uncommitted quantity, not theoretical annual production.

Useful follow-ups:

How many bags exist now?
What is the net bag weight?
Is the entire lot already milled?
Is any quantity reserved for another buyer?
If I reorder, will it be the same lot or a new crop?

Cambodia’s coffee sector is smaller than major Robusta origins, so volume accuracy is essential. A supplier that provides a realistic number is more useful than one that promises any requested quantity.

3. How were the cherries selected, processed, and dried?

Ask for the process in operational terms.

For example:

Were cherries selectively picked or strip harvested?
How was unripe or damaged cherry removed?
Was the coffee natural, washed, honey, or another process?
Was fermentation controlled?
How long did drying take?
What surface or dryer was used?
What moisture target was used before storage?

Coffee Quality Institute education resources treat processing as a technical stage that affects preservation, flavor, food safety, and value.

Source: https://www.coffeeinstitute.org/education/education-resources

4. What green-coffee quality data do you have?

Request measurable information:

moisture;
defects;
screen or bean size when relevant;
color and condition;
quakers or other physical observations where available;
milling date;
storage condition.

Physical data helps the buyer establish a reference point for the lot and compare future or pre-shipment samples.

5. How was the coffee evaluated in the cup?

Ask:

Who cupped it?
When?
Under what protocol?
What roast was used?
What were the main flavor descriptors?
Were defects detected?
Is there a score?
Does the score belong to this exact lot?

CQI’s public Q Robusta records show how a formal evaluation can connect sensory scoring to a specific lot and include producer, process, harvest, moisture, defect, and grading information.

Source: https://database.coffeeinstitute.org/coffee/595747

Do not treat an unsupported “80+” statement as enough evidence.

6. What level of traceability can you prove?

Ask the supplier to draw the chain:

farm or community → collection → processing → drying → storage → milling → export lot

If multiple farmers are aggregated, ask how lots are separated and how supplier records are maintained.

If the supplier uses claims such as farmer partnership, Indigenous sourcing, climate-resilient production, or local farmer support, ask what program or documentation supports those claims.

SNV’s Cambodia work with Kofi is one example of a documented supply-chain program involving local farmer sourcing, training, agroforestry, processing facilities, and nursery investment.

Source: https://www.snv.org/library/business-case-spotlight-kofi

7. Is the sample representative of what will ship?

This is one of the most important questions in green-coffee buying.

Ask whether the sample is:

taken from the completed commercial lot;
a hand-prepared sample;
a type sample;
a pre-harvest projection;
a pre-shipment sample.

Then define the approval process.

A strong first-order workflow is:

representative offer sample → QC approval → contract → pre-shipment sample → final QC → shipment

The buyer should also define what happens if the pre-shipment sample falls outside agreed tolerances.

8. Who will legally export and invoice the coffee?

The farm, processor, seller, and exporter may not be the same company.

Ask for:

legal seller name;
legal exporting entity;
invoicing entity;
bank beneficiary;
port or export route;
required origin and customs documentation;
previous export experience where relevant.

There is nothing inherently wrong with using an export partner. The risk comes from unclear roles.

9. What are the real commercial terms?

Before negotiating price, align the specification.

Then request:

price and currency;
Incoterm;
Moq;
total lot size;
packaging;
shipment window;
lead time;
payment terms;
sample and courier policy;
inspection conditions;
claim/replacement procedure.

Two prices cannot be compared if they include different packing, shipping responsibilities, payment timing, or quality specifications.

10. Can you supply the same quality again?

A first lot may be excellent. The strategic question is whether the relationship can continue.

Ask:

Is this coffee repeatable next crop?
Are the same farmers expected to supply?
Is the same processing method controlled by the same facility?
What variables may change?
How is quality monitored across harvests?
Can future lots be benchmarked against the current approved sample?

For seasonal micro-lots, the answer may legitimately be “No, this exact coffee will not repeat.” That is acceptable if the buyer is purchasing a one-time release.

For a core espresso or wholesale program, repeatability may be essential.

Bonus question: Why should I buy this lot from Cambodia?

This question forces the supplier to define the actual value proposition.

A strong answer may involve:

a specific cup profile;
a documented regional identity;
a producer relationship;
distinctive processing;
a smaller separated lot;
a transparent supply chain;
reliable local sourcing;
a product format suited to the buyer’s market.

A weak answer is simply “Cambodia is the next big coffee origin.”

A buyer-ready request template

A buyer can send suppliers the following request:

“Please provide the lot name/ID, origin and region, harvest year, producer or supplying group, variety if known, processing and drying method, moisture, defect information, available volume, bag specification, cupping notes/score with evaluation details, traceability level, sample type, export entity, Incoterm, price, shipment window, and payment terms.”

This one request eliminates much of the back-and-forth that slows supplier screening.

What should you verify before paying?

Before deposit or full payment, confirm that:

the company receiving payment matches the agreed contracting structure;
the lot is still available;
the approved sample is tied to the commercial shipment;
packing is confirmed;
shipment and document responsibilities are clear;
the final invoice matches the agreed terms;
any certification or score claim has supporting evidence.

The buyer takeaway

Sourcing Fine Robusta from Cambodia should not require lowering procurement standards because the origin is new.

The opposite is better: use a more disciplined approval process.

If a supplier can answer these ten questions with clear, consistent, verifiable information, the buyer can evaluate Cambodia on the same professional basis as any established coffee origin.

Faq

Should I ask for all ten items before receiving a sample?

You can screen basic identity, volume, process, and price first. Full diligence should happen before commercial approval.

Can I buy a Cambodian lot without a formal score?

Yes. A formal score is not mandatory, but the coffee still needs credible sensory and physical evaluation.

What if the supplier cannot provide farm-level traceability?

That may be acceptable for a regional or aggregated lot if the traceability claim is presented accurately and the aggregation process is understood.

What is the fastest way to reject weak suppliers?

Ask for exact lot identity, available quantity, representative sample status, physical QC data, and exporter identity. Weak offers often become obvious at this stage.