ED&F Man

ED&F Man is a British-origin agricultural commodities merchant whose history dates to 1783, when James Man established a business as a barrel-maker and sugar broker at 23 Harp Lane in London. The cooperage business soon gave way to commodity trading. The company later supplied rum to the Royal Navy and expanded into coffee, cocoa and other commodities. Its long history in trading is reflected in a present-day business focused on soft commodities and the sourcing, handling and movement of products through international supply chains. The company describes itself as a provider of commodities and supply-chain logistics. Its product range includes sugar, coffee, molasses, animal feeds, fish oils and cotton. Its business areas include Volcafe, which specializes in worldwide green coffee procurement; ED&F Man Liquid Products (MLP), which sources, ships, stores and distributes molasses and related liquid products; sugar trading and value-added sugar products; and a cotton business serving customers internationally. Offerings include organic sugars, sweeteners and blends, liquified sugar, alcohol products, molasses blends, liquid feeds and beet pulp pellets. ED&F Man presents its role as connecting suppliers and customers across the commodity lifecycle, from sourcing and storage to processing, shipping and distribution. It highlights supply-chain assets, local expertise, customer-specific solutions, commercial-risk expertise and long-term partnerships. Its customers include large food and drink suppliers. The company also describes sustainability, responsible sourcing, environmental stewardship and community support as elements of its approach to operating in agricultural supply chains. The official website describes ED&F Man as part of global commodities group Hartree Partners. It also describes the business as an employee-owned agricultural commodities merchant, so the available official statements do not provide a single fully reconciled account of ownership. The company reports a workforce of more than 2,800 people across 43 countries and a network of specialist trading companies. It is active, with its website presenting its commodities businesses and publishing company news.

ED&F Man traces its origins to James Man’s London business, established in 1783 at 23 Harp Lane as a barrel-maker and sugar broker. The company’s own history recounts that the cooperage side of the business soon disappeared, while sugar brokerage and commodity trading developed. In 1784, James Man secured a contract to supply rum to the Royal Navy. According to the company, the Navy’s daily-rum-ration tradition continued until 1970 and Man held the supply contract throughout that period. The business broadened its commodity activity in 1802, trading coffee, cocoa and other commodities. At the time, trades were conducted at candle auctions held in coffee houses. In 1810, the company moved to Mincing Lane, then a hub of London’s commodity-trading activity close to the Thames docks. James Man retired in 1819 and died in Dartmouth in 1823. The official history also mentions the founding of Volkart Brothers in 1851 by Salomon and Johann Georg Volkart. The present company identifies Volcafe as one of the world’s largest coffee merchants and says it has traded since 1851, specializing in worldwide green coffee procurement. The supplied history excerpt does not detail the intervening corporate changes connecting the historical Volkart business to the current Volcafe operation, so that relationship should not be inferred beyond the company’s stated description. Today, ED&F Man Commodities presents itself as an international merchant of soft commodities and a provider of supply-chain logistics. Its businesses cover coffee, sugar, liquid products, cotton and related agricultural commodities. The company describes work across sourcing, supply, transportation, storage, processing and distribution, supported by local expertise and supply-chain relationships. It reports a global workforce and operations across multiple countries, and says it serves customers including major food and drink suppliers. The official website identifies ED&F Man as part of Hartree Partners. It also describes the business as employee-owned; the available statements do not explain how these ownership descriptions relate to one another. The company remains active and presents sustainability and responsible sourcing as ongoing priorities.

• 1970

  End of the Royal Navy rum-tot tradition

• 1851

  Volkart Brothers founded

• 1823

  Death of James Man

• 1810

  Move to Mincing Lane

• 1802

  Expansion into other commodities

• 1784

  Royal Navy rum contract

• 1783

  Company founded in London

• 1755

  Birth of James Man

A global soft-commodities merchant and supply-chain partner, emphasizing origin-to-destination relationships, local expertise, logistics capabilities, commercial-risk expertise and responsible sourcing.

• Volcafe

  A coffee business specializing in worldwide green coffee procurement; the company says it has traded since 1851.

• ED&F Man Liquid Products (MLP)

  Sources, ships, stores and distributes molasses, molasses blends, liquid feeds, beet pulp pellets and fish oils.

• Sugar

  International sugar merchant offering sugar and value-added products including organic sugars, sweeteners and blends, liquified sugar and alcohol products.

• Cotton

  A cotton trading business serving customers around the world.

1. 1ED&F Man Commodities — The global experts in coffee, molasses, and sugaredfman.com
2. 2Our History — ED&F Man Commoditiesedfman.com
3. 3Our Company — ED&F Man Commoditiesedfman.com
4. 4About ED&F Man Commoditiesedfman.com