What is a micro-lot in green coffee?

A micro-lot is a small, separately produced and tracked quantity of green coffee isolated from the broader farm or cooperative production because of something distinctive about it - a specific plot, a particular varietal, a single altitude band, a specific processing method, or simply cherry picked at perfect ripeness and handled with exceptional care throughout.

The defining characteristics are small volume, precise provenance, and differentiated quality. A micro-lot tells you something specific: not just "Colombia, Huila" but "Colombia, Huila, Finca La Palma, Pink Bourbon, anaerobic washed, 1,950 masl, 88 points."

Micro-lots sit at the heart of specialty green coffee's quality differentiation. For roasters they provide a genuine story to tell. For producers they create a commercial incentive to invest in exceptional quality management for smaller portions of their crop at significantly higher prices than the broader lot commands.