The business of green coffee is about more than taste these days, as factors like sustainability increasingly drive decisions throughout the value chain. The SCA Green Coffee Summit 2023, a free online event on December 5 and 6, will examine coffee production, trade, and value discovery in talks and presentations by experts discussing production forecasts, market trends, and the legislative landscape.
Organized by the Specialty Coffee Association, the event will explore such critical questions as: What are the emerging consumer preferences? Which flavor profiles dominate key producing regions? Where do the strongest markets lie? These insights are essential for anyone involved in the buying and selling of coffee.
“In recent years, our perception of green coffee's value has shifted significantly, with a growing emphasis on extrinsic qualities," says Andrés Montenegro, sustainability director at SCA. "The research on understanding flavor attributes in coffee is evolving rapidly due to market changes, scientific progress, and shifting consumer preferences in the specialty coffee sector. Green Coffee Summit 2023 is a unique chance to get the pulse on these innovations and learn from the leading experts and coffee professionals that are shaping the strategies to advance the specialty coffee sector to make coffee better, for all."
On the event's first day, December 5, talks will cover Green Coffee & Extrinsic Attributes. Ever since the emergence of specialty coffee, the North American coffee industry has been characterized by innovation. Recent years have witnessed the rise of trends like cold brew, ready-to-drink coffee, ordering apps, and e-commerce — but these trends are mostly seen from the consumer's perspective. What about the point of view from the coffee supply chain?
Speakers will delve into the tools available to North American specialty coffee buyers, empowering them to better understand and enhance green coffee purchasing. Other topics will include impact investing, a sustainable pricing calculator, and the evolution of the SCA's value assessment methods. Among the presenters will be green coffee buyers and sellers sharing their observations on the evolving landscape and their strategies for meeting and influencing demand.
On December 6, talks will center on the theme of Green Coffee and Value Design. "Value discovery" is a vital term in the world of specialty coffee, shaping global green coffee sourcing strategies. Yet tools like the SCA's Coffee Value Assessment can be used to not only discover value, but also to design it. Industry experts will explore practical innovations that shift green coffee production from discovering value to intentionally designing it.
They will cover specialty coffee auctions, green coffee breeding and genetic foot-printing, tailored coffee fermentations, and processing equipment design.
"Innovations in green coffee production and processing are pushing the boundaries toward a new understanding of how we can create value in an intentional way," the SCA said in a statement. "These innovations are redefining our understanding of value, allowing us to create unique coffee experiences and tackle sustainability challenges in the specialty coffee sector as it evolves towards an unfolding (and uncertain) future."
The SCA is a global association that aims to raise standards worldwide through a collaborative and progressive approach while developing a fair, sustainable, and nurturing industry for all.
The duration of talks on each of the event's two days is four hours. You can learn more about the Green Coffee Summit at green.sca.coffee.