The bean before the roast — understanding green coffee at a buyer’s level.
If you’ve completed the SCA Green Coffee Foundation course (or you already work with green coffee day-to-day), the SCA Green Coffee Intermediate course is the natural next step. It moves you from a general overview into the practical skills a green-coffee buyer, QC technician or roastery owner actually uses: identifying varieties and processes by sight, evaluating physical quality, reading contracts, and understanding how coffee moves from origin to your warehouse.
At Tasse Coffee Roastery in Shinjuku, Tokyo, this is a private, hands-on 1:1 or 1:2 course. You handle real green coffee throughout — sample roasting, grading, identifying defects — rather than just reading slides. Below is a module-by-module look at exactly what you’ll learn.
Course at a glance
Level: Intermediate (CSP Green Coffee)
Format: Private 1:1 or 1:2 in-person
Location: Shinjuku, Tokyo
Languages: English / Japanese / Mandarin / Cantonese
Duration: 1 day (minimum 14 hours of curriculum incl. practical exam)
Price: ¥115,000 (SCA enrolment fee not included)
Certification: SCA Green Coffee Intermediate certificate on passing the written and practical exams
Module 1
Global Distribution of Coffee Varieties
At the Intermediate level, you go beyond the simple Arabica vs. Robusta split and dig into the specific varieties that define modern specialty coffee. We trace how Bourbon, Typica, Geisha, SL28, Caturra and other cultivars travelled across continents and how their genetics, terroir and altitude express themselves in the cup.
What you’ll learn
- How coffee varieties are classified and how key cultivars are related
- Where each variety is grown today and why
- How altitude, latitude and microclimate shape flavour
- Trends in disease-resistant and hybrid varieties
Hands-on highlight
Compare side-by-side green samples of multiple varieties and learn to spot the visual cues that distinguish them before they even hit the roaster.
Module 2
Coffee Cultivation & Plant Management
Quality starts on the farm. This module looks at how a coffee tree is planted, pruned, fertilised, shaded and protected, and how each agronomic decision shows up in the green bean you eventually buy.
What you’ll learn
- Soil, shade, irrigation and nutrition fundamentals
- Pruning cycles and yield management
- Common pests and diseases (leaf rust, broca, nematodes)
- Harvest timing and selective vs. strip picking
Hands-on highlight
Walk through real harvest calendars from major origins and learn how to read a producer’s lot description like a buyer.
Module 3
Processing Methodologies: Washed, Natural & Pulped Natural
Processing is where the cherry becomes a green bean — and where a huge amount of flavour is locked in. At Intermediate level you go deep into the three primary methods and the modern variations (anaerobic, extended fermentation, carbonic maceration) that producers are using to differentiate their lots.
What you’ll learn
- Step-by-step washed, natural and pulped natural / honey processes
- Fermentation chemistry and its impact on cup profile
- Drying methods: patios, raised beds, mechanical dryers
- How to identify a process from the look and feel of the green bean
Hands-on highlight
Inspect parchment and green samples from each method and learn the tell-tale signs of well- vs. poorly-processed coffee.
Module 4
Storage, Transportation & Packaging
Even the best green coffee can lose its quality between origin and roastery. This module covers what happens in the months between harvest and your hopper: humidity, temperature, container conditions, packaging materials and the labelling that travels with each lot.
What you’ll learn
- Resting periods and why ‘new crop’ matters
- GrainPro, vacuum, jute and bulk packaging compared
- Container conditions and ocean-freight risks
- Ideal warehouse temperature, humidity and stock rotation
Hands-on highlight
Read real shipment paperwork — ICO marks, lot numbers, certificates of origin — and learn what to flag before you sign for a delivery.
Module 5
Coffee Market Analysis: Cash vs. Futures
Pricing green coffee is more than just “the C”. At the Intermediate level you learn how the cash market and the futures market interact, how differentials are negotiated, and how specialty contracts are built on top of the commodity price.
What you’ll learn
- How the New York ‘C’ and London Robusta markets work
- Differentials, FOB vs. FCA pricing and Incoterms basics
- Fixed-price vs. price-to-be-fixed contracts
- How currency, hedging and crop forecasts move prices
Hands-on highlight
Walk through a sample green coffee contract line by line and identify the clauses that protect — and the ones that expose — the buyer.
Module 6
Certifications & Decaffeination
Certifications signal value to roasters and end consumers; decaffeination opens an entirely different category of coffee. This module covers the major certification systems and the main decaf processes used in specialty coffee.
What you’ll learn
- Organic, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, Bird Friendly and Cup of Excellence
- What each certification verifies — and what it doesn’t
- Decaf processes: Swiss Water, CO2, EA / MC, Sugarcane EA
- How to read a decaf spec sheet and select for cup quality
Hands-on highlight
Compare green samples of the same coffee, decaffeinated by different processes, and discuss how each method affects appearance and likely cup performance.
Module 7
Physical Evaluation of Green Coffee
The course finishes with the practical green-grading skills tested in the SCA exam: screen size, density, moisture, water activity, and the SCA defect classification used to score 300-gram samples. You’ll handle real coffees and produce a grading report.
What you’ll learn
- Screen sizing and density assessment
- Moisture content and water activity targets
- Category 1 vs. Category 2 defects and how to count them
- How to write a grading report a trader can act on
Hands-on highlight
Grade a real 300g specialty sample, run sample roasts, and complete a basic sensory evaluation aligned with how the SCA practical exam is run.
Who is this course for?
The SCA Green Coffee Intermediate course is built for people whose jobs — or businesses — depend on understanding green coffee in detail. That includes:
- Roastery owners and head roasters who want to buy more confidently
- QC, lab and production staff at coffee importers and exporters
- Cafe owners moving toward direct trade or single-origin sourcing
- Baristas and trainers who already hold Foundation-level certification
- Career changers preparing for a role in green coffee buying or trading
What comes after?
The SCA Green Coffee module has three levels. Each one builds on the last:
Foundation
An introduction to green coffee: species, varieties, basic processing and quality. Ideal for newcomers.
Intermediate — you are here
Practical buyer-level skills: variety ID, processing detail, market mechanics, contracts, certifications and physical grading.
Professional
Advanced trading, financial management, defect cupping, sample analysis and futures-market mechanics for working green-coffee professionals.
Ready to step up from Foundation? Reserve your private session in Shinjuku.
Book the SCA Green Coffee Intermediate CourseAll sessions run privately at Tasse Coffee Roastery in Shinjuku, Tokyo. SCA enrolment fee (USD 50) is paid separately to the Specialty Coffee Association.
