The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) is pleased to announce that the Board of Directors has approved a slate of candidates, as recommended by the Nominating Committee, for the 2016 Board of Directors Elections. The board has nominated Tracy Ging of Volcafe Specialty and Tea for 2nd Vice President. For the five open director positions, …
As a service to our members, SCAA is providing the following letter for specialty coffee professionals to share with relatives or friends who might invite you over for dinner. Hopefully, it will help you avoid some of the sticky ‘coffee pro’ situations that arise every holiday season. Good luck and happy holidays! Dear (Circle one: …
The Sustainability Council of the SCAA is searching for a consultant to conduct research on coffee farm workers and identify successful cases of labor management on coffee farms. Through interviews and workshops to take place in Colombia and Central America in the coming four months, this person will support the Council in learning more about …
By Simran Sethi Specialty coffee, like craft chocolate, is a category that continues to evolve. The term “specialty coffee” was coined by Erna Knutsen during a 1974 interview in the Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. Erna, considered one of coffee’s living legends, used it to describe unique coffees from Ethiopia, Yemen and Indonesia that had …
The National Coffee Association (NCA) Coffee Summit, held at the end of last month in Austin, Texas, was dedicated to sustainability discussions and digging deeper into key issues for the coffee industry. Participants split their time among activities that included self-directed group discussions, learning exchanges, directed interactive forums, traditional presentations, and more. Session topics included Sustainability Beyond Origin, Single-Serve and its Journey to a …
In the latest video release from Re:co Symposium, Heather Ward, SCAA’s Research Analyst, and Ben Pitts, Vice President of Food Service & Hospitality for Royal Cup Coffee, give a relatively consumer-focused look at the specialty coffee industry, assuring us that the vital signs of the coffee market look positive. People like–and are willing to pay for–specialty coffee, …
By Eton Tsuno, Director of Coffee, Temple Coffee Roasters Inc. The University of California Davis officially opened their new coffee lab on Friday, October 22, 2015. This may sound odd, as coffee is generally not thought of as an academic subject, but at the University of California Davis it is taken seriously. UCD has a …
The specialty coffee supply chain is intricate and complex, consisting of many different and connected parts. Along this chain, coffee is vulnerable to threats that impact not only quality, but also its very existence. Every day, coffee fights for survival, confronted with erratic weather patterns, disease and pests, drought, as well as labor shortages and …
By Kassy Holmes, The Rainforest Alliance In the coastal coffee-growing region of Oaxaca, Mexico, indigenous communities, conservation organizations, coffee traders, and cooperatives have come together to launch an innovative model for combating deforestation, promoting climate-smart coffee production, and fostering resilient livelihoods for farmers already facing the challenges of climate change. Oaxaca once exemplified Mexico’s diversity …
By Heather Ward, SCAA Research Analyst One of the first things a coffee customer does upon walking into a cafe is to look at the prices on the menu. Prior to entering, the customer may have an idea of what beverage they want to drink and what it might cost. But, they will always look …