By Will Frith High on the Lang Biang plateau near Dalat in Central Vietnam, Rolan Colieng and Josh Guikema’s picturesque coffee farm lies in the shade of the country’s third highest peak. Josh and Rolan are a couple of the change-makers in this region, with a shared dream that Vietnam’s coffee can come to be …
By Colleen Anunu When coffee buyers voice concern over the future of supply, they often list declining natural resources, market inefficiencies, and limited access to capital resources among many of the challenges that farmers face. Development economists argue that these constraints are further amplified by the “growing pains” of structural adjustment and economic transformation. Developing …
As part of its mission, SCAA is actively involved in issues related to sustainability, and looks to its members to take leadership roles in sustainable practices. With this in mind, the Sustainability Council created the Sustainability Award in 2003 to promote, encourage, and honor the efforts of those serving as role models in fields of sustainability. …
What are the biggest obstacles that today’s coffee farmers need to overcome to stay in coffee? Regardless of the size of one’s farm, I believe the biggest obstacle is being profitable on a consistent basis each year. This is quite challenging because there are many factors that are beyond our control: C-contract prices, climate, diseases …
Interviews by Will Frith Quang, La Viet Specialty Coffee Why do people leave coffee farming in Vietnam? All the young guys want to discover a new world; they’re attracted the bright lights of the city – even if they have to rent a house and get a very low salary, just enough to cover their …
Today we received news of the first national coffee cupping competition, held in Myanmar this past May, where two women smallholder farmers were awarded first and second place in their category and the overall event at Myanmar’s first national cupping competition held in Yangon. Results were announced and trophies presented at a formal ceremony last week in …
By Ric Rhinehart, Executive Director, SCAA We have had a chance to get a tremendous amount of input over the past few weeks on the regional barista competitions and their place in our community. All of the staff and directors at the SCAA recognize the value these events bring to a wide range of stakeholders, …
By Danny Pinnell, SCAA At SCAA, we love seeing members come into the office. This week’s coffee talk was a particularly special treat as Barista Guild of America Executive Council member Alexandra LittleJohn of Equator Coffees and Teas came by and prepared coffee for us. Alex came by and told us about a coffee and espresso …
The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), the organization who produces the United States Coffee Championships, has announced changes to the prequalification system for the United States Barista Championship (USBC). Competitors will be able to register to compete at the USBC, beginning in the 2016 cycle, as follows: Baristas who either hold a level 1 …
The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) has published the 2014 Barista and Roaster Compensation Report, which shows that while some coffee professionals are paid only slightly over minimum wage, certification plays a key role in advancing their compensation. The objective of this report, conducted in conjunction with Marketing General, Inc. (MGI), is to recognize …