SCAA Announces Recipients of 2016 Annual Recognition Awards and Sustainability Award
Honoring those who contribute their expertise to the coffee industry, the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) has announced the recipients of its 2016 Recognition Awards and Sustainability Award. Each year, SCAA honors outstanding achievements in the specialty coffee industry and unique contributions to the association. These leaders have made contributions to the industry, resulting …
Is Coffee Farming Profitable?
Streamed live on Mar 3, 2016 Join the discussion about the profitability of coffee farming!
O Pioneers! Navigating a New Landscape: Letter From the Editor
In 1992, a book called Technopoly by Neil Postman was released, in which he wrote, “Stated in the most dramatic terms, the accusation can be made that the uncontrolled growth of technology destroys the vital sources of our humanity. It creates a culture without a moral foundation. It undermines certain mental processes and social relations …
Technology of Our Own: Developing Information and Communication Technology for the Coffee Industry
By Stephanie Ratanas, Dogwood Coffee In every sector of the specialty coffee industry, growth and progress now demand more information and precision than ever before. Producers, exporters, importers, and roasters want greater detail about a coffee—they require cupping for quality down to the day of harvest and geographic area of a farm. Exactly measured data …
Social Strategies for a Changing Customer
By Tara Smith, SCAA Social media, a major element of the new digital landscape, changes nearly every day. Some changes are small, some are large, but change is a constant in the social media world. I believe that what coffee companies should actually be most tuned into is not what is changing on social media …
Coffee Plants of the World: A Resource for Aspiring Coffee Botanists
By Emma Sage, SCAA This work began about three years ago, leading up to the SCAA Symposium in Boston, where we had a scientific session focusing on coffee genetics. Little did I know at the time that this project would turn into a multi-year, multi-disciplinary treasure hunt. For a presentation on this topic at …
Finding Our Way: The Hidden House Coffee Story
By Ben Briggs, Hidden House Coffee The rapid expansion and growth of the coffee industry has drawn a variety of people to the market. The dream of owning a small “mom and pop” shop is becoming more attractive with the success that many are having in the industry. The journey that most people do not …
The Sublime Non-Science Behind an iPad Point-of-Sale System
By Andy Freivogel, Science Retail A successful niche retailer and I sat down yesterday in preparation for what promised to be an ugly phone call with a point-of-sale (POS) company, whose software was inexplicably failing. The retailer asked me, “Who are these guys? Are other guys better? Take sign makers, for example. I had a …
Climate Change: Adapting to a Changing Environment
By Alex Morgan, Rainforest Alliance. Contributions from Meredith Taylor, Counter Culture and Alvaro Gaitan, Ph.D. head of Plant Pathology, Cenicafe. Climate change has already made the difficult even more difficult. Coffee farmers around the world are feeling the impacts of these changes, whether through increased frequency of floods or droughts, pest outbreaks, or catastrophic weather …
Technology & the Changing Role of Coffee Traders
By Rob Stephen & Hayden Kwast, Olam Specialty Coffee Over the past few decades, technology has changed the very nature of human interactions and relationships. Phone calls, letter writing, and in-person meetings have been complemented–and in many cases–replaced by social media posts, text messages, and video chats. The historically conventional and traditional coffee importer has …
People of Specialty Coffee: An Interview With Brant Curtis
Brant Curtis is the Director of Communication and Innovation at Curtis. How long has Curtis been manufacturing coffee brewing equipment? How did the company get started? We’re so stoked, because this year Curtis is celebrating it’s 75th anniversary, making it the nation’s oldest manufacturer of commercial coffee brewers. In 1941, my Great Grandfather (Wilbur Curtis) …
SCAA Expo Preview: A Message From the Executive Director
Dear Coffee Professional: One of the great challenges of producing an Expo that has a 28-year tradition is finding the balance between tradition and innovation. It is thus a real pleasure for me to write a few words about this year’s annual gathering of the specialty coffee community as we embark on our 28th edition. …