The Specialty Coffee Association has launched a new Coffee Sustainability Program to help educate everyone involved with coffee along the supply chain.
The program, announced Aug. 15, is based on the principle that sustainability must be embraced by everyone in the industry if the specialty coffee industry is to survive and thrive. “As expectations for greater transparency and corporate responsibility grow in the industry, companies are rapidly increasing the size of their sustainability teams and seeking knowledgeable, experienced leaders to forge their path forward,” the SCA announcement stated.
The program is based on three levels of education. The first “foundation” level, available now, reviews the major sustainability issues facing the coffee industry and offers baseline knowledge of what the term “sustainability” means, how it is connected to power dynamics, current and historical events and practices, as well as a variety of coffee projects.
The intermediate and professional levels, still under development and expected to be available soon, extend the discussion. The intermediate course introduces learners to global sustainability challenges and prepare learners to begin thinking analytically about the impact they'd like to make in the sector. The “professional” course offers an intensive, practical experience in which learners design, carry out, and assess their own sustainability project in accordance with their individual, organizational, or business goals and capabilities
“The SCA Coffee Sustainability Program will help learners become more competitive in their existing lines of work as more and more companies, employers, and organizations crave greater integration of sustainability within their existing modes of doing business,” said Nora Burkey, creator of the Coffee Sustainability Program content. Burkey also is founder and executive director of The Chain Collective.
Find more information at sca.coffee/education/programs/coffee-sustainability-program