Who Runs Jamaica's Coffee Industry?

Behind every bag of genuine Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is a small set of institutions. Knowing who does what helps make sense of news about the industry and of the claims sellers make. This page lists the main official and industry bodies, what each one is responsible for, and where their authority stops. It is based on Jamaican legislation, government news releases and the associations' own published information.

JACRA: the regulator

The Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority is the statutory body at the centre of the system. It was created by the JACRA Act of 2017, after the House of Representatives passed the bill in September 2016, and it took over the Coffee Industry Board along with the cocoa board, the regulatory functions of the coconut board and the ministry's spice export division, the Jamaica Information Service reported. In 2026 JIS described JACRA as setting quality standards, providing quality assurance and certification, and regulating trade in coffee, cocoa, coconut, turmeric, ginger and pimento.

For coffee, JACRA's 2018 regulations require growers of commercial quantities to register, license dealers, coffee works and nurseries, set grading standards, and hold export coffee in JACRA custody until it ships. Using the words Blue Mountain or High Mountain in the coffee trade without its written authority is an offence. JACRA's acting director general in 2026, Wayne Hunter, told JIS the Authority now has two Q graders, licensed by the Coffee Quality Institute, who test coffee before export. Our JACRA certification page goes through the rules in detail.

Coffee Marks Limited: the trademark holder

The Blue Mountain name is protected abroad through Coffee Marks Limited, which the 2018 licence forms describe as wholly owned by JACRA. A dealer's licence for coffee is subject to a user licence agreement with the company. WIPO lists the registrations: a United States certification mark, a European Union trademark and a United Kingdom certification trademark. JIS reported in 2026 that JACRA owns the trademarks for both Jamaica Blue Mountain and Jamaica High Mountain.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining

The ministry sets policy and funds programmes, and JACRA falls under it. After Hurricane Melissa, the minister, Floyd Green, announced J$120 million for fertilisers, herbicides, fungicides and other inputs, and JACRA reported J$132 million spent on rehabilitation through the ministry by April 2026. See Hurricane Melissa and Blue Mountain coffee.

The Jamaica Coffee Exporters Association (JCEA)

The JCEA was established in 1996 to help protect Blue Mountain coffee and describes itself as the only legal entity of registered exporters of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee. Its mission statement covers higher farm production, sustainable prices, brand development and market development. Its published member list names twelve members: Blue Mountain Coffee Venture Ltd, Clifton Mount, Coffee Traders Ltd, Country Traders Ltd / Coffee Roasters of Jamaica, the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority, Jamaica Coffee Corporation Ltd, Jamaica Standard Products Ltd, Mavis Bank Coffee Factory, Salada Foods Jamaica Ltd, Stoneleigh Coffee Processors Ltd, Trumpet Tree Coffee Factory and Wallenford Coffee Company Ltd. Its chairman is Dr Norman Grant. The list is the association's own and may not be current; JACRA's licensing, not association membership, decides who may deal in Blue Mountain coffee.

The Jamaica Coffee Growers Association

Farmers have their own voice in the Jamaica Coffee Growers Association, whose president, Donald Salmon, has spoken for growers on storm damage, blocked farm roads and access to credit. He told the Jamaica Gleaner in December 2025 that about 80% of small farmers work three acres or less. Small farmers matter to the authenticity story: the Jamaica Observer reported in 2018 that they produce about 85% of Jamaica's coffee, so the registration and receipt system has to reach thousands of small properties, not just a few estates.

The Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO)

JIPO administers trademarks and geographical indications in Jamaica. The Protection of Geographical Indications Act, 2004 protects geographical names in Jamaica, and in 2011 JIPO said it was working on geographical indication protection for Blue Mountain coffee, along with jerk and rum, JIS reported. Our page on coffee geographical indications compares Jamaica's approach with Colombia, Ethiopia and Hawaii.

The Coffee Industry Board: the predecessor

Older articles and packaging refer to the Coffee Industry Board, set up in 1950 according to WIPO to maintain and standardise the quality of exported coffee and described as the only certifying agency for Jamaican coffee. Its functions passed to JACRA. The story of the Board, the 1953 regulations and the first shipment to Japan is on our history of Blue Mountain coffee page.

How the pieces fit together

In practice the bodies divide the work. Growers register their properties with JACRA and sell cherries to licensed dealers and coffee works, several of which are JCEA members. Those processors keep the records the regulations require, and JACRA grades, cups and holds export coffee until it ships. Coffee Marks Limited licenses the name and protects it abroad, the ministry funds development programmes such as the post-hurricane replanting, and the growers' and exporters' associations speak for farmers and the trade. The processing steps themselves are described on our Blue Mountain coffee processing page.

What this means for buyers

• Only JACRA can authorise use of the Blue Mountain name in the trade. An association logo or a claim of membership is not a substitute for a JACRA licence.
• Abroad, misuse of the name is a matter for trademark law in the country of sale, enforced by the rights holder.
• Questions about a specific product are best put to the seller: who exported it, and can they name the Jamaican dealer or estate? Our fake Blue Mountain coffee guide suggests what to ask.

Disclosure: this site is published by Mamre Blue Coffee, a Jamaica Blue Mountain estate (see about us), so we rely on official and independent sources for the facts on this page.