SCAA recognises industry leaders

The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) announced on 11 March the winners of the 2014 Recognition Awards. The SCAA awards outstanding achievements in the specialty coffee industry and unique contributions to the association. These awards will be presented to the winners at the annual SCAA Event in Seattle, United States this April. Robert Stiller, Founder of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR), will receive the Lifetime Achievement award for his long list of career accolades.  Stiller’s focus on corporate social responsibility saw GMCR donate 5 per cent of its annual profits to charitable projects and being listed as number one for social responsibility in 2006 and 2007.  Stiller’s commitment to the ongoing advocacy of fair trade has seen GMCR become the world’s biggest supplier of fair trade coffee. Sunalini Menon will receive the Alfred Peet Passionate Cup.  She has a postgraduate in Food Technology from the University of Madras, India and is the founder of her own company Coffeelab Limited. Sunalini has more than 35 years of experience in the coffee industry both India and internationally. Through international workshops Sunalini has promoted the concept of quality coffee for many years. Trever Corlett, CEO and co-founder of Madcap Coffee Company, will take home the Service to the Association award. As well as heading up Madcap's expansion project, Corlett is currently the Chair of the Barista Guild of America, an SCAA Specialised instructor, a subject matter expert in espresso for the SCAA, and an editorial advisor for Barista Magazine.   Trevor has been competing in barista competitions for a number of years, most recently finishing third in the United States Barista Championship. Twin, a UK-based ethical trading organisation will be presented with the Sustainability Award.  The company sets out to engage new producers in the Democratic Republic of Congo and help them access value-added markets for the first time.