Page 61 - #56 English

0 5

The dust around SCAA and SCAE has settled

Since June 2015, at the World of Coffee Gotheburg, SCAE’s vice president (CEO now) Paul Stack had an-
nounced the idea that the company will merge with SCAA, the news about these two biggest companies of spe-
cialty coffee merge together was unstoppable.

The Specialty Coffee Association of America, aka SCAA, estab-
The Specialty Coffee Association of Europe, aka SCAE, established
lished in 1982, has about 3000 member-companies, which cover
in London in 1998, right now has about 3000 members across over
different areas of coffee business, across over
70 different countries. Also, SCAE has
40 countries in the world. It is the largest plat-
many branches in 35 countries. Its cam-
form in the world for sharing and trading spe-
paigns of specialty coffee have won many
cialty coffee and one of the most powerful certi-
international approvals over the years.
fied international coffee training organizations.
MEMBERS VOYED FINAL RESULTS to combine all the educational projects into a mutually
The two associations state, right now they are trying
beneficial system, at the same time, the privileges and cer-
tifications, that the members have, will not change. Besides
that, the two organizations also promise the events and
competitions in 2017 will be held according to the sched-
ule.Of course, there are some challenges, huge amounts of
people in one new organization may cause bureaucracy,
At last, after two years of discussions and voting, weakens the executional actions of the new organization.
these two associations were officially united on August Language may also be a challenging issue and the differ-
11th 2016. From the results of the voting, the percentage ences in management and developing goals on both sides,
of the votes from two sides had made a great history. On they need time to get along with each other. In fact, SCAA
the day of August 5th, 56% members of SCAA partici- and SCAE had their idea of getting together for a long time,
pated in the voting, and 62% of the members said yes; the most important one they both had been working on is
Earlier on May 20th, 86% of the members in SCAE voted the WCE and some other big international events include
yes out of 51% of the members. However, the usual per- WBC. Also, depending on the finical data of both sides, by
centage of the voting is around 10%.These exceptionally 2021, the total income of these two together had reached 26
high numbers explained the urgent feelings of these two million dollars, compare to 15 million dollars in 2015, the
associations wanted to unite together, for the support- number increased a lot.
ers this action deserved to be revolutionary. Indeed, the
changes in the coffee market will make impacts on the
price chain of the industry. Nowadays more and more In June, 2014, executive members of two associations met in Rimini,
coffee professionals are rising, it is necessary for these Italy, discussed the possibilities of the working together.
two elite companies to join together. The merge will also In the second half of 2015, the two associations gave out surveys
bring a lot of advantages for the coffee market, include for their members.
In January 2016, associations met their point, continued pushing
● Building in the resource network and helping each other to find resources
their goal, and also signed the contract.
● Two projects that have the greatest influence in the coffee education in
On March 31st 2016, at the HOTELEX Shanghai, David Veal and
the world: SCAE Coffee Diploma and SCAA Pathways will merge to-
Paul Stack of SCAE indicated the point of merging into SCAA is
gether, in the future there will be only one system in the world, and it will
to achieve the continuous development of the coffee industry.
be taught by the professionals, authors and development members.● Big
On May 23rd 2016, Paul Stack of SCAE officially announced the
boosts on the world influence, events and competitions, standard
voting results: SCAE agrees to join SCAA.
trainings and diplomas, etc.● To the retailers, especially the small
On June 30th 2016, former SCAA president Donald Schoenholt
ones, the merge will bring them more knowledge, more feedbacks from
together with 11 members of the 38 former presidents declared
the clients worldwide, and also more resources of high-quality raw
that they don’t want to join with SCAE, they tried to convince
beans.● The new organization will perform “One Man One Vote”,
the board not to support the union.
granting everyone rights to participate in every decision. The motto
On August 10th, 2016, SCAA announced the voting result, major-
“Members First” never changes.
ity of the members agreed on the action.
61