When did you start working in coffee? Was there a moment when you knew that you’d like to make a career out of it? I started working in the specialty coffee industry in 1996, after graduating from University with a degree in Painting & Drawing and a minor in World Comparative Literature with an emphasis on Folktales …
By Katherine Nolte Gender equality is a human aspiration, not a women’s initiative. Imagine a world where opportunities are free from stereotypes associated with being masculine or feminine. Imagine a world where the work of a stay-at-home dad is valued equally to a career as a roaster-owner, VP trader, or senior finance professional. Imagine a world …
By Miguel Zamora Defining what “sustainable coffee” means has been a challenge for the coffee industry. This is also an opportunity for all of us working in coffee: to define what we mean with sustainability in coffee and communicate this to our customers and consumers, while channeling our resources towards true “sustainability”. In reality, answering …
The Technical Standards Committee (TSC) of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) works on complex and complicated projects that have great impact on the specialty coffee industry. From establishing the green coffee defects standards for Arabica coffee to publishing measurable standards for sample roasting and cupping, our volunteers define the technical aspects of quality …
By Kim Elena Ionescu, SCAA Director of Sustainability Coffee buyers, farmers, traders and baristas are becoming more aware of the important role that farm workers play in the quality coffee trade. The Sustainability Council of the SCAA identified that farm worker vulnerability is a key threat to our industry and began to focus on this …
Sponsored story provided by KitchenAid®. Specialty coffee is about more than the absence of defects or off-flavors. It is about the pursuit of unique flavor attributes. It is about opening up a new world of experiences for the coffee drinker. It is about coffee producers and roasters sharing great coffee with their customers. It’s also about more than just the coffee experience delivered in a cafe setting. Bringing specialty …
Sponsored content provided by Schneider Industries. Surplus Equipment is available from the ongoing operations of Kraft Heinz, including a powdered coffee & soda drink processing and packaging equipment. Onsite & Online Bidding: Thursday, July 21 ∙ 10 AM PDT Location: Kraft Heinz Plant – San Leandro, CA Inspection: Wednesday, July 20 ∙ 9 AM to …
By Meredith Taylor Water management is a difficult issue to address in coffee-growing regions because many of the impacts tied to water pollution and shortages are often downstream from their causes—both literally and temporally. While the issues around water as it relates to coffee are complex, they fall into two basic, overlapping categories: having enough …
By Miguel Zamora The issue of farmworkers was very present at this year’s SCAA Expo. The Sustainability Council of the SCAA organized a panel to discuss some of the challenges we face as an industry in this regard. This is the third year in a row that Sustainability Council members have moderated panels to discuss farmworkers and that …
SCAA’s Specialty Coffee Retail Sentiment Index (RSI) is a semiannual indicator that measures coffee retailers’ degree of optimism on their own situation and the industry. The purpose is to provide data that reflects the overall sentiment and, over time, it will be used to identify trends and offer insight on the segment’s movement. The RSI …