Forward Specialty Green Coffee

forward specialty green coffee is a panama-registered exporter based in boquete, operated by cole torode, a canadian specialty coffee professional who relocated to panama in early 2025 after years of sourcing, competing, and consulting across more than ten countries. the business pivoted from a canada-based importer and trader model to a panama-based export operation with the stated goal of working closer to producers in chiriqui province. the focus is on microlot and single-farm selections, primarily geisha and other specialty varietals grown in the boquete region. torode holds q grader credentials and has worked as a competition judge, scoring a coffee at 98.5 during the 2025 best of panama auction, where that lot sold for a reported world-record price of $30,204 per kilogram. forward sells through an online marketplace, positioning itself toward roasters seeking direct panama-origin lots without consolidator intermediaries. for the 2026 harvest torode has stated targets of one-week shipping times and reduced freight costs. the operation is small and owner-operated, suited to roasters buying microlot volumes rather than full containers.