In April, we gathered in Boston to celebrate all our community has to offer; now, entering June, we look forward to reconnecting again in Berlin. As our global community grows, so too does our events calendar: coming together reminds us how important it is to stay connected to one another as we face the challenges …
STEPHANIE ALCALA explores the current state of genetic diversity and how we can create climate resilient crops, as she shares some highlights from her research project investigating the genetic composition of the beloved Panamanian Geisha.[1] The specialty coffee industry is most vulnerable to climate change, because it relies solely on the production of Coffea arabica, …
MARCO WELLINGER of ZHAW (Wädenswil, Switzerland) explains why alkalinity is more important than pH and why you should adjust your water recipes to your beverage ratio and extraction method. Even as raindrops are falling to earth, gases already diffuse into it, most notably CO2. The dissolved CO2 combines with water to form carbonic acid, which …
NOA BERGER traces how French cafés and roasters navigate the “glocalization” of specialty coffee. All photos by Albin Durand for La Fontaine de Belleville. Despite being relatively slow to catch on, this movement has caught the attention of the culinary industry, as evident by the recent entry into specialty coffee of French chef Alain Ducasse. …
KELSEY KUDAK traces the evolution of the global competition and its impact on the specialty coffee industry over the past 20 years. Last year, Agnieszka Rojewska, who was the first woman to win the World Barista Championship (WBC), used an Ethiopian coffee to journey back to her first visits to cafés. She mused upon the …
First established in 2016, Design Lab – a platform showcasing great design in specialty coffee – has continued to grow. Now in its fourth year, the competition celebrates the design efforts of our industry through four key platforms: coffee spaces, coffee vessels, packaging, and brand. As the hundreds of submissions are received and carefully evaluated …
Long rows of palm trees, arranged flowers, incredibly clean streets – these are things I associate with Singapore or Switzerland, but there they were! The streets were so clean and green, I found myself wondering if there was even any dust to be found. I first came to Rwanda in 2013, looking for a place …
The turning of the year brought exciting changes to SCA leadership. Our board – now more reflective of our global community – recently directed SCA staff to allocate substantial resources to understanding and addressing the coffee price crisis. We look forward to working with Executive Director Emeritus Ric Rhinehart on the SCA’s Coffee Price Crisis …
Dr. JOSEPH KING explores the role of specialty coffee across two case studies of conflict and development efforts in Rwanda and Eastern Congo. All photos by Dr. King. The peoples of the Great Lakes region are as diverse as its ecosystems, geographically marked by volcanoes, rainforests, savannas, and lakes. Numerous tribal groups, national boundaries, and …
LEAD Scholar SMAYAH UWAJENEZA reflects on her personal experience working as a specialty coffee professional in Kigali, Rwanda in a 25 Magazine online exclusive. I was born after genocide (in 1997) and brought up by the lovely community who taught me the value of life and the treasure of generosity. I was lucky enough to …