Just Released: The Value of Specialty Coffee Cuppers SCA White Paper

The Value of Specialty Coffee Cuppers: Perspectives, Roles, and Professional Competencies

 On October 6, 2022, the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) announced the appointment of a task force comprised of cuppers, institutional partners, and leaders in the coffee community to help build a robust system for specialty coffee cuppers and graders. At present, the task force is comprised of more than 40 members, a mix of volunteering individuals and invited organizational representation. The SCA is proud to announce their first contribution: a brand-new white paper entitled “The Value of Specialty Coffee Cuppers: Perspectives, Roles, and Professional Competencies.” 

This white paper describes the various roles cuppers currently hold within coffee’s value chain, the value of these roles, and the competencies required to successfully operate as a cupper in each context. It is our view that cuppers are highly skilled, not just as “tasters” (although this skill is foundational to the role), but as subject matter experts who may discover, support, ensure, and communicate the quality of coffee while acting as key market linkages within the coffee value chain. By calling attention to the wide range of roles cuppers currently occupy—and the vast range of relevant supplemental or complementary competencies currently required to fulfill them—our goal is to offer a clear path of professional development for those seeking to work in the specialty coffee sector.

Learn More about the SCA’s initiative to evolve the existing cupping protocol and form into a Coffee Value Assessment System at sca.coffee/value-assessment