Investing in the Next Generation of Coffee Farmers
By Willy Foote, Root Capital For decades, SCAA members have made significant investments that support the millions of farmers at the heart of the global coffee market. These investments have helped strengthen livelihoods, conserve the environment, improve quality, and promote women’s empowerment and gender equality. Yet something’s still missing. Past efforts have too often failed to …
A New Generation of Coffee Professionals
By Alexandra LittleJohn, Equator Coffees and Teas I started as a barista. Of course that’s not the whole story, but it kicks off the chronology of my career. What I usually omit from the dialogue is all of the non-coffee jobs I had to keep to pay my bills. I always worked a second job while …
The Millennial Marketplace: Shifting Values
By Heather Ward, SCAA From a market perspective, the mushrooming Millennial generation is taking the spotlight. Many business resources are devoted to learning how to address this target audience. We’ll talk more about that, but first, let’s take a look at who makes up this demographic that seems to be the talk of the town. …
Coffee Plants for the Future: Update on the World Coffee Research Breeding Program
By Emma Sage, SCAA In late January of this year, World Coffee Research (WCR) gathered a group of coffee breeders and other interested parties to discuss the future of coffee cultivars in Central America. Representatives from WCR, SCAA, Anacafé, Promecafé, AGRITECH NST, CATIE, USAID, and CIRAD discussed the results of the WCR genetic diversity study, …
Staying Relevant: Meeting Consumer Demands in Changing Times
By André Cabrera, Distant Lands Coffee Savvy, discerning millennial consumers (people between the age of 18 and 35 who make up around 25 percent of the U.S.’s population) have shown that they expect quality, value, and convenience. They have sophisticated palates and desire a variety of flavor and options. But they also want to know …
Local Communities, Global Collaboration
By Carl Sara, MTC New Zealand Everyone thinks New Zealand is isolated, almost as far away as Mars. That we have to take a long-haul flight to do our grocery shopping. That hobbits populate the lower realms of our country. And it’s all true. While those facts may remain, we still feel like we are at …
SCAA Announces Results for the 2015 / 2016 Board of Directors Election
The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) is pleased to announce the results of the 2015/2016 Board of Directors election. Voting ended March 13, 2015, votes were tallied, and we can now confirm the new SCAA board members listed below. We are honored and grateful that these coffee professionals have dedicated their volunteer time and …
Coffee Talk: Ethiopia
By Danny Pinnell, SCAA Each year, the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s Annual Exposition, The Event, highlights a Portrait Country. This tradition began because our community decided to pay attention to a specific coffee origin every year, giving us the chance to learn more about different coffee origins. Every year brings a different origin, a different country …
Ask Emma: What is hydrolysis?
Hi Emma, I keep hearing about this “hydrolysis” thing that happens during brewing, what is it? Can you explain the science behind hydrolysis? How is it different than extraction? Thanks, Brewed and confused in Baltimore *** Dear brewed and confused, I feel your pain! Brewing is one of the most complex yet under-researched topics in …
Case Study: Cultivating Quality in Honduras through Relationship Coffee
By Jimmy Sherfey, Abeja In San Jose de Colinas, located in the Cup of Excellence favorite region of Santa Barbara, Honduras, Arnold Paz shows us the proper level of ripeness, demonstrating the home remedy for harvesting more profitable cherry. “If you’re not sure, squeeze it,” he says, suspending a freshly picked cherry several inches above …
Coffee Talk: La Golondrina
By Danny Pinnell, SCAA The 27th Annual Event is quickly approaching, and that means we’re busy, busy, busy here in the office. Although our weekly staff meeting was entirely devoted to The Event, we set aside some time for our treasured weekly coffee talk, this time more of a meditation. Peter Giuliano began with a …
Roasters Guild and Barista Guild of America Combine Forces for Origin Trip to Costa Rica
By José René Martínez, J. René Coffee Roasters Having the benefit of an early arrival into San José, I wasted no time in touring one of Central America’s most vibrant cities. With camera in-hand, I walked the streets of San José, the nation’s largest city and the epicenter of social and economic activity. Within minutes, …