Five Origins, One Mission in Bangkok

Asia’s specialty coffee market is growing faster than almost anywhere else in the world, and Asia World of Coffee 2026, held at BITEC in Bangkok from 7 to 9 May, is where that market meets. Fairtrade NAPP team along with the Coffee Advisory Board visited the trade fair with a clear purpose: to turn strategy into commercial outcomes for the farmers behind the region’s coffee. Representatives of Ea Tan Cooperative in Vietnam, the Cooperative des Producteurs de Cafe du Plateau des Bolovens (CPC) in Laos, Malenadu Savayava Krishi Parivar in India, Cooperativa Comercio Agricola de Timor (C-CAT) in Timor-Leste and Koperasi Produsen Bumi Arabika Gayo in Indonesia, alongside the NAPP team, were present at the Trade fair for two days meeting buyers, presenting their coffees and listening closely to the market.

The delegation’s targeted approach paid off. Through one-on-one meetings, sample sharing and planned visits to major exhibitors including Vanmai Coffee Cooperative, CPC, Falcon Coffees, Santoker, Rancilio Specialty and the Indonesian pavilions, the team collected business cards and contact details from more than 40 high-potential leads. Among them were over ten strong buyer prospects and two potential applicants for Fairtrade certification, one as a buyer and one as a producer. Every interaction was documented on the spot, so that each lead can be pursued systematically in the weeks after the fair rather than fading into a stack of forgotten business cards.

Producers Speaking for Their Own Coffee

The strongest conversations happened when buyers heard about Asia-Pacific coffee directly from the organisations that grow it. Calisto Alves of C-CAT presented green bean samples from Timor-Leste in one-on-one meetings with buyers and roasters, discussing his cooperative’s supply capabilities in his own words and securing promising leads. Producer representatives from all five countries, including two women representing Koperasi Produsen Bumi Arabika Gayo, led their own commercial discussions at booths, cupping rooms and networking points. For Fairtrade, this is the point: farmers and their organisations negotiating their own market access, with NAPP working alongside them rather than speaking for them.

A Sharper Map of What Buyers Want Next

Every conversation on the trade floor added a piece to the market map that NAPP producers can now use. Moving between the Producer Village, Cupping Rooms, Roaster Village, Brew Bars and SCA seminars, the delegation gathered real-time intelligence on current price expectations, buyer preferences for processing methods, innovations in packaging and the growing demand for specialty profiles from Asia-Pacific origins. Buyers also gave direct feedback on origin quality and sustainability practices. This intelligence will be shared with national producer networks so that cooperatives can refine their product offerings and position their coffees several steps ahead of the next buyer conversation.

Traceability, the New Passport to Premium Markets

One message came through clearly in almost every meeting: buyers want coffee they can trace back to its origin, with documentation that meets the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Many roasters and importers expressed readiness to partner with organised Fairtrade cooperatives precisely because they can deliver reliable traceability and compliance documentation. This positions Fairtrade certification as a real commercial advantage in the EUDR era, and it gives producer organisations a clear roadmap of which systems to strengthen next, from geolocation mapping to land documentation. These insights feed directly into the NAPP Coffee Network Advocacy Strategy 2026 to 2030, which calls for full smallholder inclusion in EUDR implementation so that no coffee farmer in Asia and the Pacific loses EU market access over compliance barriers.

Strengthening the Global Presence of Fairtrade Asia Pacific Coffee

Beyond individual meetings, the delegation raised the visibility of Fairtrade among Asian and global coffee stakeholders. Team members distributed the NAPP Mountain Network of Asia and Pacific promotional brochures across the exhibition halls and represented the Fairtrade brand at strategic networking points throughout the fair. The participation also marked a new South-to-South trade engagement for NAPP, strengthening commercial ties within the region at a moment when Asia’s own demand for specialty coffee is rising. 

Voices from Bangkok

“Participating in Asia World of Coffee 2026 was truly eye-opening. I had the chance to speak directly with international roasters and traders at booths like Falcon Coffees, Santoker and Rancilio Specialty. We distributed our Mountain Network brochures and collected more than 15 promising leads in just two days. The market feedback on our processing methods and sustainability practices was extremely valuable. This event has strengthened my confidence that Fairtrade-certified coffees from Asia and the Pacific can compete at the highest level. I’m already following up with buyers and look forward to new partnerships that will benefit our farmers.”

- Duong Nguyen, Ea Tan Cooperative, Vietnam

“It was truly my privilege to participate in Asia World of Coffee 2026. I deeply appreciate being included in the strategic planning discussions for the coffee sector. The experience has been incredibly valuable and inspiring. I return home motivated and look forward to our continued collaboration to strengthen Fairtrade coffee producers across Asia and the Pacific.”

- Calisto Alves, Cooperativa Comercio Agricola de Timor (C-CAT), Timor-Leste

The Road from Bangkok

Post the event the Coffee Advisory Board member has compiled an individual commercial mission report with buyer leads, market feedback and contacts, consolidated by the regional coordinator into areport for the NAPP Commercial Department. The commercial intelligence gathered in Bangkok is being shared with national producer networks and woven into NAPP’s 2026 to 2027 action plans. Fairtrade NAPP will keep working alongside cooperatives to strengthen traceability systems, so that the next time Asia’s coffee industry gathers, producers from the region arrive even better prepared.