The Gift of Choice
by Julie Beals

When the news was announced in August that Alliance for Coffee Excellence’s Cup of Excellence program would partner with the NCA to create greater sustainability and visibility for all involved, coffee professionals lit up the blogosphere, opining, gasping and gagging on what this could mean for specialty coffee and the organizations that represent it.

Speculation was to be expected. Some decried the SCAA for not partnering with COE, and vice versa. What were the people at ACE thinking, and where was the SCAA when this happened? ACE executive director Susie Spindler contends that she sought partnership with the SCAA, without success. The SCAA was, of course, dealing with aftershocks of its financial crisis and preparing to replace outgoing executive director Ted Lingle. As it should have been.

But whether the missing link between COE and the SCAA came down to poor timing, stagnant communication or bad blood, the dust of surprise has settled. What matters now is what will come of the COE/NCA partnership. Spindler is more than encouraged. “This liaison will add credibility to ACE in our quest for funds to grow the program,” she says. “The NCA is well managed, with resources COE needs to bring it to the forefront of the consumer marketplace, and to increase the number of farmers receiving benefits from the program.”

For all the NCA’s multinational, million-pound-a-year members, if it gets the message right, who better to broaden awareness about specialty? While the SCAA maintains the luster of its own educational programs, and for defining specialty and the standards it encompasses, the NCA won’t be preaching to the choir if it brings members into the specialty fold. And resources of big-dollar, wide-footprint members might be put to use for daunting issues at origin (see “Climate Change” on page 72) and to educate consumers.

And this is not an outright avocational shift for the NCA or COE. COE can continue to grow under its current model with support from roasters and retailers, big and small, to drive prices up and support valuable farms. Small to mid-size companies make up the majority of NCA members, and the savvy among them see the growth of specialty coffee and naturally want to be a part of it. The NCA has, for years, recognized specialty coffee as the most dynamic sector of the industry, with the addition of gourmet coffee questions to its annual survey, expansion of its curriculum to include specialty topics (including new Webinars aimed at small roasters and retailers), and now by partnering with COE, a beacon in the development of emerging coffee markets. Endorsement by the NCA of niche market systems for the world’s great coffees can only be seen as good news. “The NCA is focusing on quality programs for specialty roasters,” says Spindler. “The COE’s liaison with the NCA is a result of that focus—not the other way around.”

Will two associations representing common interests leave potential members spread thin? Will freedom of choice be a curse, or confusing? I don’t know about you, but sometimes I like the option of 10 kinds of apples at the market. Other times it makes me crazy. But never do I not want a choice, where one apple could outshine the next.

There’s no evidence of existential anxiety at the SCAA about any of the above, though a call to arms at this point would be immaterial. “There is no end for some to the fetish for industry intrigue, but I can think of few issues less deserving of their attention,” says the SCAA’s Mike Ferguson. “The NCA recognizes, even if not all their members do, that the drive for quality sustains the entire industry. COE and other auction programs not only identify some of the highest quality coffees in the world, but demonstrate the range of their true value. I think it is a good partnership and an opportunity for ACE members and COE events to conduct some ‘missionary work’ among our friends in the commodity world.”

Whether the NCA can serve and strengthen specialty coffee, given the nuances of its markets, remains to be seen. But its partnership with ACE/COE is not about large roasters taking over specialty coffee, but rather the natural inclination to educate members on trends, and yes, to grow membership outside of a traditional base.

As we go to press, I’m in Long Beach, Calif., for the SCAA’s annual committee meetings. I’ll be in New York later this month for the NCA’s educational conference, with an eye on its specialty roasting and retailing tracks, to witness how NCA membership might benefit both segments of the industry. Look for our reports in November and January, respectively.

Julie Beals
Editor

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