Cup of Excellence

Cup of Excellence is an international coffee competition and auction program that identifies and promotes high-quality coffees from producing countries. The program aims to increase transparency, elevate producer incomes, and connect producers with specialty coffee buyers through blind cupping and online auctions. Organized by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence, the initiative has been influential among roasters, exporters, and development agencies.

History

The initiative began in 1999 with involvement from organizations such as the United States Agency for International Development, TechnoServe, and the Specialty Coffee Association of America. Early editions drew judges and delegates from institutions including the International Coffee Organization, World Bank, and national coffee boards like the Comité Nacional del Café in various producing countries. Over time the program expanded to nations represented by the International Coffee Organization list, including Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Kenya, Peru, El Salvador, Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, Yemen, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, and Dominican Republic. Funding and partnerships have included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, IDB Invest, and bilateral development agencies such as USAID and JICA. The program's governance evolved under entities like the Alliance for Coffee Excellence and collaborations with regional organizations such as the East African Fine Coffees Association and the National Coffee Association of the United States. Major milestones included the introduction of online auctions, partnerships with exporters like Volcafe and ED&F Man, and auction platforms used by buyers including SCAE-affiliated roasters and specialty traders from SCA regions.

Competition Format and Judging

Samples are submitted by producers, cooperatives, and exporters and go through screening rounds assessed by national juries drawn from roasters, Q graders, and representatives of institutions such as the Specialty Coffee Association, Coffee Quality Institute, World Coffee Research, Neumann Kaffee Gruppe, and national coffee institutes. Judging uses protocols similar to standards promoted by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and the Coffee Quality Institute with blind cupping panels, temperature-controlled rooms, and scoring sheets aligned with internationally recognized metrics. International juries have included cuppers and representatives from companies and institutions such as Starbucks, Intelligentsia Coffee, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Counter Culture Coffee, Blue Bottle Coffee, La Marzocco, Fetco, BUNN, and research entities like the University of California, Davis coffee center. Winning lots are cupped, cupping notes compiled, and top-scoring lots are presented in multiple rounds culminating in a final ranking. Auction logistics were refined with support from exporters, logistics firms such as Maersk and DHL, and auction service providers used by buyers from markets including Japan Coffee Association, Specialty Coffee Association of Japan, and European specialty importers like Mercanta and Olam.

Impact on Coffee Producers and Industry

The program has been cited by development agencies and non-governmental organizations including Heifer International, Oxfam, and TechnoServe for increasing farmgate revenue for standout producers in countries represented by entities like the Comité Nacional del Café (Guatemala), Anacafé, and national cooperatives such as COELO-affiliated groups. Auction premiums have attracted specialty buyers including Cafe Imports, Royal Coffee, S&W Specialty Coffee, Sperry Coffee, Mercanta, Olam Specialty Coffee, and Volcafe leading to relationships with roasters like Blue Bottle Coffee, Intelligentsia Coffee, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Verve Coffee Roasters, and Ritual Coffee Roasters. Researchers at institutions such as World Coffee Research and universities like Cornell University and University of California, Davis have examined Cup of Excellence data to study variety adoption, traceability, and price dynamics. National policies and private sector actors—from ministries like the Ministry of Agriculture (Brazil) to cooperatives like Cooperativa de Caficultores—have used results to market micro-lots and specialty estates at international trade shows including SCA Expo, World of Coffee, and Specialty Coffee Expo.

Notable Winners and Auction Results

Prominent auction results have included celebrated lots from producers and regions represented by names and institutions such as farms in Panama linked to varieties and estates near the Boquete region and the Geisha variety, producers represented by cooperatives like ASOPEP and estates in Antigua (Guatemala), Huehuetenango, Nariño (Colombia), Sidama (Ethiopia), and Nyeri County in Kenya. Buyers such as Blue Bottle Coffee, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Intelligentsia Coffee, Square Mile Coffee Roasters, %E3%82%AB%E3%83%95%E3%82%A7 (Japanese specialty buyers), and auction participants including Cafe Imports and Royal Coffee have paid record premiums in certain years, raising profiles for producers represented by exporters like Neumann Kaffee Gruppe and Sintercaf. Specific high-profile winners have attracted coverage in media outlets and specialty publications associated with institutions like Specialty Coffee Association events, and have influenced varietal interest in programs run by World Coffee Research and seed initiatives backed by USAID and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critics from industry stakeholders including some producer organizations, civil society groups such as Oxfam, and academic researchers at universities like University of Queensland and London School of Economics have argued that auction-driven premiums may be uneven, favoring micro-lots from certain regions and estates while leaving many smallholders represented by cooperatives such as Cooperativa de Caficultores behind. Debates have involved actors like exporters, national coffee institutes, and buyers over issues of traceability, post-harvest handling, and the role of certifiers and graders including the Coffee Quality Institute. Controversies have also surfaced around auction accessibility for producers in regions served by logistics partners such as Maersk and DHL, fee structures debated by organizations like Alliance for Coffee Excellence, and transparency concerns raised by academics and NGOs during conferences such as the SCA Expo and meetings of the International Coffee Organization.

Category:Coffee competitions