For the first time, the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) will focus on directly engaging with consumers and supporting the industry to grow the specialty coffee market, says CEO Yannis Apostolopoulos.
This represents a significant advancement for the SCA as a trade association dedicated to the growth of the market through consumer education and increased awareness initiatives. SCA will also drive the adoption of the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) as a transformative tool for the industry. The CVA represents a new paradigm for value discovery, sparking critical discussions on value distribution across the value chain. CVA’s adoption will happen by strengthening our collaboration with local institutional partners in producing countries.
The key theme in the global coffee market for 2025 is expected to be resilience amid uncertainty. Converging factors such as climate change, geopolitical tensions, and economic pressures present unmatched challenges throughout the value chain. The industry must prioritise adapting supply chains, investing in farming practices resilient to climate change, and ensuring equitable compensation to producers. Consumption in producing countries is rising and Brazil is trending to become the biggest consuming country in the foreseeable future.
The biggest challenge for the global coffee industry will be balancing profitability with sustainability. As rising costs pressure margins, stakeholders must navigate the tension between short-term financial goals and long-term resilience. Addressing this will require collaboration across the value chain – from producers to retailers – to adopt innovative solutions that align economic and environmental priorities.
I wish for the global coffee industry to build resilience by tackling the challenges producers face. The surge in coffee prices at the end of 2024, primarily due to supply disruptions from climate change, underscores the disproportionate risk shouldered by producers. To create a genuinely resilient industry, developing strategies that equitably distribute risk and aid producers in establishing sustainable livelihoods while contending with these obstacles is essential.
This article was first published in the January/February 2025 edition of Global Coffee Report. Read more HERE.
