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SCA News
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Specialty Coffee Association and Colombian Coffee Growers Federation Sign Landmark Agreement at Specialty Coffee Expo Houston

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (FNC) are proud to announce the signing of a transformative Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today at the Specialty Coffee Expo in Houston.

The Specialty Coffee Association and the Coffee Quality Institute Announce Historic Partnership to Provide Better Support and Education to the Coffee Industry 
Features
The Specialty Coffee Association and the Coffee Quality Institute Announce Historic Partnership to Provide Better Support and Education to the Coffee Industry 
Features

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) are pleased to announce a historic partnership that will provide better support and more accessible educational opportunities to the coffee industry.

Features
In 2026, Specialty Coffee Expo Will Rebrand as World of Coffee!
Announcements, Community
In 2026, Specialty Coffee Expo Will Rebrand as World of Coffee!
Announcements, Community

Today the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has announced the rebranding of its flagship North American event, Specialty Coffee Expo, as World of Coffee!

Announcements, Community
Book Your Booth at World of Coffee Geneva 2025
Announcements, Business, Community, News & Events
Book Your Booth at World of Coffee Geneva 2025
Announcements, Business, Community, News & Events

Step into the premier platform to connect with key markets, showcase new products, build lasting partnerships, and drive your sales to new heights. Located in the heart of Europe, World of Coffee draws coffee professionals from across the continent and beyond.

Announcements, Business, Community, News & Events
Registration Now Open for 2025 Specialty Coffee Expo Houston!
Community, News & Events, Announcements
Registration Now Open for 2025 Specialty Coffee Expo Houston!
Community, News & Events, Announcements

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is thrilled to announce its flagship North American Specialty Coffee Expo will take place in Houston, TX at the George R. Brown Convention Center, April 25–27, 2025. This extraordinary gathering will welcome more than 17,000 attendees from 85 countries, showcasing the best in coffee innovation, culture, and sustainability as well as several networking opportunities supporting the commerce side of the trade business. Proudly supported by Title Sponsor Middleby Coffee Solutions Group, Diamond Sponsor Sanremo Coffee Machines and Platinum Sponsor Pacific Barista Series. Coffees from Peru will be featured as the Portrait Country with unique cultural activations, and a pop-up café experience.

Community, News & Events, Announcements
Featured
Specialty Coffee Association and Colombian Coffee Growers Federation Sign Landmark Agreement at Specialty Coffee Expo Houston

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (FNC) are proud to announce the signing of a transformative Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today at the Specialty Coffee Expo in Houston.

CVA, Research, Education, SCA Cupping Education, Announcements
The Specialty Coffee Association and the Coffee Quality Institute Announce Historic Partnership to Provide Better Support and Education to the Coffee Industry 
CVA, Research, Education, SCA Cupping Education, Announcements

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) are pleased to announce a historic partnership that will provide better support and more accessible educational opportunities to the coffee industry.

CVA, Research, Education, SCA Cupping Education, Announcements
News from Our Partners
The Uniqueness and Excellence of Peruvian Coffee 
News from Our Partners, Sponsored Content
The Uniqueness and Excellence of Peruvian Coffee 
News from Our Partners, Sponsored Content

Peruvian coffee is a product of tradition and passion. Grown in some of the most stunning landscapes on earth, it carries the essence of Peru’s diverse geography and the dedication of generations of small-scale farmers who take pride in their craft. 

News from Our Partners, Sponsored Content

Latest Announcements

 
SCA News
Specialty Coffee Association Launches WCC Judge Skills Program
World Coffee Championships
Specialty Coffee Association Launches WCC Judge Skills Program
World Coffee Championships

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is proud to announce the launch of the World Coffee Championships (WCC) Judge Skills Program, a new educational initiative designed to equip coffee professionals with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to pursue becoming a World Coffee Championships Judge.

World Coffee Championships
In 2026, Specialty Coffee Expo Will Rebrand as World of Coffee!
World of Coffee, Expo, Expo 2026, World of Coffee San Diego
In 2026, Specialty Coffee Expo Will Rebrand as World of Coffee!
World of Coffee, Expo, Expo 2026, World of Coffee San Diego

Today the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has announced the rebranding of its flagship North American event, Specialty Coffee Expo, as World of Coffee!

World of Coffee, Expo, Expo 2026, World of Coffee San Diego
Bidding Now Open for World Barista Championship Qualified Sponsorships and World Brewers Cup Filter Grinder Position for 2026–2029 Cycle
World Coffee Championships
Bidding Now Open for World Barista Championship Qualified Sponsorships and World Brewers Cup Filter Grinder Position for 2026–2029 Cycle
World Coffee Championships

Manufacturers can now register their interest in Qualified Sponsorship for the World Barista Championship (WBC) and for the first time, the World Brewers Cup (WBrC). Open categories include the Qualified Filter Grinder position for the 2026-2029 World Brewers Cup, and Qualified Water Filtration, Espresso Grinder and Espresso Machine Positions for the 2026-2029 World Barista Championship. Bidding will remain open until July 4, 2025.  

World Coffee Championships
Rules & Regulations Released for the 2025 World Barista Championship in Milan
World Coffee Championships
Rules & Regulations Released for the 2025 World Barista Championship in Milan
World Coffee Championships

The Specialty Coffee Association is delighted to release updated Rules & Regulations for the 2025 World Barista Championship (WBC). The 2025 WBC will take place October 17-21, 2025 at HostMilano. This set of rules and regulations finalizes the suite of rules for each of the seven World Coffee Championships taking place in 2025.

World Coffee Championships
 

Community Stories

 
SCA News
Applications Are Now Open for the 2025/2026 Intake of the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Coffee Excellence
Education
Applications Are Now Open for the 2025/2026 Intake of the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Coffee Excellence
Education

The Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) has opened registration for the 2025/2026 graduate certificate program intake of the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Coffee Excellence, in collaboration with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA).

Education
In 2026, Specialty Coffee Expo Will Rebrand as World of Coffee!
World of Coffee, Expo, Expo 2026, World of Coffee San Diego
In 2026, Specialty Coffee Expo Will Rebrand as World of Coffee!
World of Coffee, Expo, Expo 2026, World of Coffee San Diego

Today the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has announced the rebranding of its flagship North American event, Specialty Coffee Expo, as World of Coffee!

World of Coffee, Expo, Expo 2026, World of Coffee San Diego
 
 

Read

SCA News
The Specialty Coffee Association and the Coffee Quality Institute Announce Historic Partnership to Provide Better Support and Education to the Coffee Industry 
CVA, Research, Education, SCA Cupping Education, Announcements
The Specialty Coffee Association and the Coffee Quality Institute Announce Historic Partnership to Provide Better Support and Education to the Coffee Industry 
CVA, Research, Education, SCA Cupping Education, Announcements

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) are pleased to announce a historic partnership that will provide better support and more accessible educational opportunities to the coffee industry.

CVA, Research, Education, SCA Cupping Education, Announcements
Meet the Winners of the 2025 SCA Sustainability Awards
Sustainability Awards, Sustainability
Meet the Winners of the 2025 SCA Sustainability Awards
Sustainability Awards, Sustainability
Sustainability Awards, Sustainability
The Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) In Action: Six Activities to Familiarize Yourself with the Assessments
Coffee Value Assessment, CVA
The Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) In Action: Six Activities to Familiarize Yourself with the Assessments
Coffee Value Assessment, CVA

In the last installment of a three-part series, JENN RUGOLO offers tips on how to familiarize yourself with the concepts and workflow of CVA, including suggestions about how to teach and implement the assessments in your workplace.

Coffee Value Assessment, CVA
 

Watch

 
SCA News
Is It Good? A Generous Exploration of Memorable Cafe Experiences | Coffee Retail Summit 2023
Coffee Retail Summit, CRS 2023
Is It Good? A Generous Exploration of Memorable Cafe Experiences | Coffee Retail Summit 2023
Coffee Retail Summit, CRS 2023

Do people know what they want?

Coffee Retail Summit, CRS 2023
What We Can Still Do with E-Commerce | Coffee Retail Summit 2023
Coffee Retail Summit, CRS 2023
What We Can Still Do with E-Commerce | Coffee Retail Summit 2023
Coffee Retail Summit, CRS 2023

Yoonseo Choi advises coffee retailers on how to succeed in e-commerce.

Coffee Retail Summit, CRS 2023
What Point-of-sale Data Tells Us About Coffee Shops | Coffee Retail Summit 2023
Coffee Retail Summit, CRS 2023
What Point-of-sale Data Tells Us About Coffee Shops | Coffee Retail Summit 2023
Coffee Retail Summit, CRS 2023

Payhere is a Point-of-Sale system chosen by one out of every three new coffee shops in Korea.

Coffee Retail Summit, CRS 2023
 

Listen

 
SCA News
Recap #27 | March 25, 2021

Kona coffee growers in Hawaii are now eligible for settlements in a 2019 class action lawsuit; Digital Coffee Future will host a series of webinars on the intersection of climate change and technology; Canadian chain Tim Horton’s has announced significant investment into the digital guest experience; UK press outlets cover the staying power of coffee consumption shifts.

Recap #26 | March 11, 2021

US coffee roasters have seen significant cost increases in their operations due to shipping and transport logistics; Demetria, an Israeli-Colombian food-tech startup, closed a seed funding round after emerging from “stealth”; Hurricanes devastated more than 200,000 hectares of crops in Central America last year; a new coffee trend is sweeping TikTok.

Recap #25 | February 25, 2021

World Coffee Research announces its next five year strategy will prioritize origin diversity; researchers at the the University of Reading, the Andean Information Network, and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Peru explore the similarities between Bolivia and Peru’s coffee and coca trades; 12 of the 16 winning lots in the recent ACE Private Collection auction with Hawaii’s Isla Custom Coffees featured controlled yeast fermentation in processing.

Recap #24 | February 11, 2021

The Alliance for Coffee Excellence announced a partnership with scientific traceability company, Oritain, to build a database of coffee origin “fingerprints”; a new study explores the relationship between coffee leaf rust and a co-evolved hyperparasite; the International Coffee Organization’s Coffee Development Report 2020 finds the that the value of annual coffee exports has more than quadrupled from 1991 to 2018.

Recap #23 | January 28, 2021

Rabobank Group, a lender known for financing agricultural traders, joined other commodity lenders in reducing its activity following a difficult year; the Hivos 2020 Coffee Barometer suggests there is little evidence coffee companies’ voluntary sustainability efforts have made an impact; Sucafina has announced a number of growth initiatives, including the acquisition of a Costa Coffee green supplier, Complete Coffee Limited; Seven Miles Coffee Roasters has launched a new telemetry system.

World Coffee Championships, WCC Podcast
Ep 06: "Worlds Apart" | World Coffee Championships Podcast
World Coffee Championships, WCC Podcast

“Worlds Apart” tells the stories of the World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship and the World Brewers Cup, two competitions that take vastly different approaches to growing the specialty coffee community. Along the way, co-host Kimberly Yer leads us through stories of unlikely inspiration, the value of setting expectations, the push and pull of subjectivity and objectivity, and the shape of things to come through interviews with Dave Jameson, Cheryl Lee Su Yin, Nick Cho, Chad Wang, and Kristina Jackson.

World Coffee Championships, WCC Podcast
 

25, A Publication of the SCA

SCA News
More Than Meets the Eye | 25, Issue 23
Issue 23, Welcome
More Than Meets the Eye | 25, Issue 23
Issue 23, Welcome

Coffee is a subject that grows more intricate the deeper you explore it. This seems daunting at times, but the opportunity for endless learning is what draws so many of us to this field.

Issue 23, Welcome
High Aspirations for the Coffee Sector: Updates to the Sustainability Awards | 25, Issue 23
Issue 23, Program Spotlight
High Aspirations for the Coffee Sector: Updates to the Sustainability Awards | 25, Issue 23
Issue 23, Program Spotlight

ANDRÉS MONTENEGRO, SCA Sustainability Director, provides an update on how the Sustainability Awards are evolving.

Issue 23, Program Spotlight
Interpreting Attention: Using Eye-Tracking Technology to Understand How Coffee Labels Influence Consumer Choice | 25, Issue 23
Issue 23, Business
Interpreting Attention: Using Eye-Tracking Technology to Understand How Coffee Labels Influence Consumer Choice | 25, Issue 23
Issue 23, Business

LUCAS TEIXEIRA shares the results of a study that used eye-tracking technology and mathematical modeling to explore how visual attention to specialty coffee labels influences consumer choices.

Issue 23, Business
Who Knows What? Market Information Access for Small Specialty Coffee Farmers in Tolima, Colombia | 25, Issue 23
Issue 23, Insight
Who Knows What? Market Information Access for Small Specialty Coffee Farmers in Tolima, Colombia | 25, Issue 23
Issue 23, Insight

GUSTAVO PEÑA and JHON JAIRO VEGA DÍAZ share the results of a study with 52 smallholder farmers in Tolima, Colombia, exploring the challenges they encounter in accessing market information.

Issue 23, Insight
A Ground-Up Perspective on EUDR: Its Regional Impact and Unintended Consequences | 25, Issue 23
Issue 23, Business
A Ground-Up Perspective on EUDR: Its Regional Impact and Unintended Consequences | 25, Issue 23
Issue 23, Business

For her Master of Science in Climate Change and Development, MARÍA PAZ LOBO spent time in the coffee region of Amazonas, Peru, researching how the EUDR has and could change farmer livelihoods. She shares key findings from her dissertation. 

Issue 23, Business
Una perspectiva de abajo hacia arriba del EUDR: su impacto regional y consecuencias no deseadas | 25, Issue 23
Issue 23, Business
Una perspectiva de abajo hacia arriba del EUDR: su impacto regional y consecuencias no deseadas | 25, Issue 23
Issue 23, Business

Para su Maestría Cambio Climático y Desarrollo, MARÍA PAZ LOBO estuvo un tiempo en el Departamento de Amazonas, Perú, investigando acerca de cómo el EUDR ya está impactando la vida de familias productores de café y potencialmente lo seguirá haciendo a futuro.

Issue 23, Business
The Gendered Coffee Paradox: Mapping a Deeper Analysis of Gender Inequity | 25, Issue 23
Issue 23, Insight
The Gendered Coffee Paradox: Mapping a Deeper Analysis of Gender Inequity | 25, Issue 23
Issue 23, Insight

Dr. ERIKA KOSS discusses her PhD research that focuses on the experiences of women coffee farmers in Kenya, and a problem she names as the Gendered Coffee Paradox.

Issue 23, Insight
Sampling the Root: Afrofuturism, Hip-Hop Pedagogy, and Coffee’s Infinite Possibilities | 25, Issue 23
Issue 23, Viewpoint
Sampling the Root: Afrofuturism, Hip-Hop Pedagogy, and Coffee’s Infinite Possibilities | 25, Issue 23
Issue 23, Viewpoint

Co-founder of Cxffeeblack, BARTHOLOMEW JONES shares how we can use the method of sampling and the framework of Afrofuturism to reconnect to coffee’s Roots.

Issue 23, Viewpoint