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Consumer Research
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A Business Case to Increase Specialty Coffee Consumption in Producing Countries
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Un Caso De Negocio Para Incrementar El Consumo De Café Especial En Países Productores
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SCA x Square 2018 Australia Coffee Report: Most Ordered Coffee Beverages
SCA x Square 2018 UK Coffee Report: Most Ordered Coffee Beverages
SCA x Square 2018 Canada Coffee Report: Most Ordered Coffee Beverages
SCA x Square 2018 USA Coffee Report: Most Ordered Coffee Beverages
Quantitative Study: Specialty Coffee Consumer Behaviors,
Motivations, and Perceptions
A data-based study aimed at determining the specialty coffee consumer’s purchase behaviors and preferences, with a special focus on generational patterns and market segments.
Qualitative Study: Consumer Behaviors, Motivations, and Perceptions
SCA brought together six focus groups in Los Angeles, California and Portland, Oregon to explore the experience of specialty coffee to those who consume it, and the qualities that make it so unique. The output was fascinating- and we began to see two distinct kinds of Specialty Coffee Consumer emerge: the Specialty Coffee Adopter and the Super Specialty Consumer.
Quantitative Study: Specialty Coffee Consumer Behaviors, Motivations, and Perceptions
A data-based study aimed at determining the specialty coffee consumer’s purchase behaviors and preferences, with a special focus on generational patterns and market segments.
Financial Research
Number of Cafés and Coffee Shops in Europe 2020
Compiling data from Euromonitor International, get an overview of the number of cafés and coffee shops in Europe as of 2020.
Retail Sales of Cafés and Coffee Shops in Europe 2020
We know the global coffee market was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but by how much? This graphic illustration gives a quick overview of data from Euromonitor International on market size and coffee sales as of 2020.
2021 National Coffee Data Trends Specialty Coffee Report
Drawing on nationwide polling conducted in collaboration with the SCA, the survey suggests that specialty coffee drinkers are set to play a huge role in helping towards the post-pandemic recovery of retail coffee.
Number of Cafés and Coffee Shops in Europe 2018
This graphic looks at the global coffee market, focusing on Europe. Data coming from the Euromonitor International reveals the number of cafés and coffee shops in Europe as of 2018.
Retail Sales of Cafés and Coffee Shops in Europe 2018
We know the global coffee market is big, but how big? Looking at Europe, this graphic illustrates the current data from Euromonitor International on market size and coffee sales as of 2018.
Economics of the Coffee Supply Chain
SCA Research is pleased to present an updated Economics of the Supply Chain: An Illustrative Outlook. Originally created in 2014, this illustration is intended to shed light on the economics of the coffee trade and amplify discussion around coffee production, pricing, and trading.
US Coffee Market Overview 2018
The SCA 2018 US Coffee Market Overview offers a large-scale understanding of coffee retail sales. This information is valuable for industry players as it offers insight into directions for future growth.
Specialty Coffee Retail Sentiment Index (RSI)
SCA has developed this economic index, measuring the specialty coffee industry’s degree of optimism at the retail level. The RSI will be used as a metric in assessing and forecasting coffee’s vigor in the retail sector. Available from 2015 forward.
US Coffee Market Overview 2017
SCA has developed an overview of the 2017 U.S. coffee market in terms of the dollar value at retail. This analysis delves deep into the retail values at place of consumption through channels, categories, and brands.
2017 Roaster/Retailer Financial Benchmarking Report
The 2017 Roaster/Retailer Benchmarking Study Results Access presents results of a business operations survey that was sent to coffee roasters and retailers in April of 2017. This platform is designed to be a dynamic benchmarking tool to assess roasters and retailers’ financial performance (based on 2016 results) relative to other businesses in the industry. The industry benchmarks reflect key operating data including financial ratios, sales mix data, and company profile information based on the results of the survey.
SCAA Barista & Roaster Compensation Survey Report 2014
The objective of this report is to identify salary and compensation ranges of Baristas and Roasters currently working in the coffee industry, identifying differences in compensation based on certification status with collected data including type of company, tenure in the coffee industry, supervisory responsibilities, certification/credentials, compensation, non-cash benefits, and demographic information. The SCAA invited current and former members, as well as never-before members of the association to participate in this survey. Information in this report is presented separately for Baristas and Roasters.
Roaster Financial Ratio Report
The 2015 SCAA Roaster Financial Ratio Report presents a detailed analysis based on the results of a survey that was sent out to roaster retailers and wholesalers in early 2015. This report is designed to be a benchmarking tool to assess roasters’ financial performance (based on 2014 results) relative to other businesses. Details of the report reflect key operating data including financial ratios, sales mix data, and company profile information based on the results of the survey.
Economics of the Coffee Supply Chain
As an extension to Ric Rhinehart’s insight on the cost of a cup of coffee we continued to dig deeper into the economics of the coffee supply chain. A survey was conducted among a select group of representative SCAA members to begin gathering the average costs that drive the overall price. Our aim was to gain an illustrative understanding of the moving pieces and paint a preliminary picture.
Number of Cafes and Coffee Shops in Western Europe 2017
2017 U.S. Specialty Coffee Consumption Trends
How many people in the United States drink specialty coffee? What is the demand for specialty coffee? How has that grown over time?
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2013 Coffee Market Retail Value Report
SCAA developed an overview of the 2013 U.S. coffee market in terms of the dollar value at retail. This analysis delves deep into the retail values at place of consumption through channels, categories, and brands.
2016 Coffee Market Retail Value Report
SCAA developed an overview of the 2016 U.S. coffee market in terms of the dollar value at retail. This analysis delves deep into the retail values at place of consumption through channels, categories, and brands.
Retail Sales of Cafes and Coffee Shops in Western Europe 2017
We know the global coffee market is big, but how big? The first step in establishing good global data is to take a step back and find data at the national level. In these infographics, we focus on national café and coffee shop market sizes in Western Europe.
Scientific Research
The Coffee Freshness Handbook
The aim of this handbook is to provide a practical resource for the specialty coffee community while contributing to the body of scientific evidence on coffee freshness of roasted coffee. The first section focuses on relevant studies in the field of coffee science followed by a complementary set of experimental studies on sensory perception of freshness and subsequent staling in roasted coffee over time.
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Coffee & Health (Literature Review)
Coffee is one of the most commonly consumed beverages around the world, but for many years, its effects on health have been disputed within the medical community. In recent decades, modern research has dispelled most of the myths surrounding coffee’s effects on health. The following health topics are perhaps the most discussed in association with coffee intake and are explored in this report: Mental Performance, Neurodegenerative Disorders, Alzeihemer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Sports Performance, Type II Diabetes, Liver Health Cancer, Cardiovascular Health, Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, Pregnancy and Fetal Health.
Grinding Research Report
Heritage organization SCAE partnered with the Nordic Barista Cup (NBC) and sensory scientist Francisca Listov-Saabye gave SCAE an excellent second step in our research journey, targeting the murky subject of flat versus conical burrs in coffee grinding.
The SCAE Water Chart
The new SCAE Water Chart establishes a solid framework for a unified and transparent discussion of water for coffee. The centre of this discussion revolves around the two axes alkalinity and total hardness. We have presented this booklet in order to promote a spirited exchange of ideas about the water we use for brewing within the speciality coffee community.
SCAE European Extraction Preferences in Brewed Coffee
In 2010 the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe embarked on a study to ascertain coffee extraction preferences exhibited by consumers of filter coffee. This was the first public study of its kind since the publication of data in the United States of America in the 1960’s, under the auspices of the Coffee Brewing Centre.
Chemical Composition Research
In research funded by heritage organization SCAE, Line Knutsson from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark and CoffeeMind’s Morten Mϋnchow investigated how roast degree, extraction time and temperature affect coffee’s chemical composition.
Why Does Water Quality Matter?
Specialty coffee depends on a combination of factors that influences overall flavour profile. Variables such as processing method, roast degree, grind size, temperature, pressure, and extraction time all play a vital role in the sensory result in the cup.
Brand Effect in Coffee
As a specialty coffee community, we pay a lot of attention to the diverse range of tactile flavours that can be discovered in our favourite brew.
Whether at home, in a coffee shop or in the workplace, our surroundings also have a big impact on where and when we choose to savour the moment. Although personal preferences may differ, we all recognize the range of factors that in influence our purchasing decisions when it comes to coffee.
Coffee Standards
Standards are a great tools for the coffee industry as they are trusted reference instruments established by knowledgeable subject-matter experts. An SCA standard is a high-quality recommendation by the Standards Committee. It is a quantifiable and qualifiable measure, based upon scientific testing, which set values and/or ranges of values for coffee. Currently, the SCA has standards for water, green coffee, and cupping coffee.
Coffee Staling Report
In food science, coffee is known as a shelf stable product. This is because unlike many other food products, it does not spoil due to enzymatic or microbial processes. However, capturing the exact nature, quantity, and rate of staling is inherently challenging due to both the diversity of flavors possible in the bean itself and to the volatility of delicious flavor and aroma compounds that contribute to the ephemeral nature of roasted coffee. This research looks into the rate of staling, if packaging type affects staling, if different coffees stale differently, among other questions.
Towards a Definition of Specialty Coffee
A persistent challenge facing the specialty coffee industry is a fundamental one: how do we define “specialty coffee” in the first place? This question—which may seem to be a very basic one—has vexed the industry since its very beginnings.
Sustainability Reports
Carbon and Coffee: GHG Emission Reductions Progress and Strategies Across the Value Chain
This report aims to highlight some of the key tools, strategies, and best practices that coffee industry actors could adopt to achieve carbon emission reduction as well as encourage more targeted conversation about verifiable methods and outcomes, in order to increase proven and positive action on climate change throughout the entire coffee sector.
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Price Crisis Response Initiative Summary of Work
Led by a core team of SCA staff with the support and guidance of Forum for the Future and industry volunteer between December 2018 and December 2019, the Price Crisis Response (PCR) set out to confront the economic systems that threaten the livelihoods of coffee farmers and the quantity and quality of the global coffee supply. This report is a series of recommendations based on the group’s findings and peer review process.
Water Security and Coffee: Protecting a Critical Resource - White Paper
This paper frames the global water crisis, defines key terms related to water resources at origin, explores the connections between coffee production, processing and water stewardship, highlights ongoing efforts by industry leaders for responsible water stewardship, and provides recommendations for action and further research.
Food Security and Coffee: Ending Seasonal Hunger
An SCA White Paper
This paper provides an overview of hunger and food insecurity in the specialty coffee industry and outlines recommendations for solving the problem with the participation of all industry partners. Learn how and why seasonal hunger affects our industry and find out more about real projects you can get involved with to actively work towards developing solutions
Climate Change and Coffee: Acting Globally and Locally
An SCA White Paper
This paper provides an overview of some potential impacts of climate change to the coffee value chain. It also examines some of the work being done by industry and community leaders in case studies on mitigation and adaptation strategies, and it makes recommendations for how all stakeholders in the industry can participate in building a more resilient coffee sector.
Farmworkers and Coffee: The Case for Inclusion
An SCA White Paper
Specialty coffee has invested and innovated continuously over more than two decades to make the coffee trade more inclusive and more equitable. However, the largest and most vulnerable group of participants in coffee supply chains—the tens of millions of wage-earning men, women, and children who work on coffee farms—have remained on the margins of those efforts.
Gender Equality and Coffee: Minimizing the Gender Gap in Agriculture
An SCA White Paper
This resource explores the gender inequality that exists in coffee, creating inefficiencies in the value chain. Developed by the Sustainability Council, this paper asserts that the specialty coffee industry has a tremendous opportunity to minimize the gender gap in agriculture to the benefit of our specialty coffee supply and our suppliers. Learn from organizations who have already started this important work, and what you can do to work towards solutions.
Coffee Production Costs and Farm Profitability: Strategic Literature Review
This review explores the costs of production for coffee farms and discovers that yield is not necessarily correlated with farm profitability.
Green Guide, Module 1 - Energy Use and Reduction Tips
SCAA, Green Cafe Network and the Food Service Technology Center are proud to announce a new and innovative project to guide and support café operators who want to run a greener business and potentially reduce costs in the process. The Green Guide is a series of digital booklets, published in modules that will cover key strategies for cafe operators in energy conservation, waste reduction, water conservation, and toxics reduction. Green Cafe Network is providing technical assistance for the Guide's content, with key research and expertise from the Food Service Technology Center (FSTC).
This Module focuses on energy use and reduction tips including lighting, refrigeration, cooking appliances, auxiliary equipment and hot water systems & HVAC.
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Green Guide, Module 2 - Water Conservation Steps
Module 2 offers cafe owners cost-effective strategies to curb water waste in their cafes without reducing the quality of the coffee, the performance of the equipment, the cleanliness of the kitchen, or the overall customer experience. Tips cover performing a water assessment, identifying and preventing leaks, reverse osmosis water filtration, dish washing machines, and much more.
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Coffee Sustainability Catalogue 2016
A collective review of work being done around the globe to make the coffee industry sustainable. Read an interesting review of this work on SCA News here and access the full report below.
SCAA Green Guide, Module 3 - Waste Reduction
Module 3 offers cafe owners cost-effective strategies to curb the amount of waste their café’s produce. Tips cover performing a waste audit, developing a plan, engaging your staff in the effort, recycling, composting, and much more.
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Understanding the Triple Bottom Line
The Top 5 Business Benefits of Sustainable Practices
This free paper explores the top tangible advantages of employing a sustainable program in your business, including profits, employee loyalty, brand benefits and more by looking at practices that draw from the Triple Bottom Line: People, Profits & Planet.
Specialty Coffee & Water Conservation
What cafe retailers can do to curb water waste
As we look to the future, issues such as climate change and population growth present increasing challenges to our water supply - at both global and local levels. This free fact sheet looks at current water usage and opportunities for cafe retailers to support conservations efforts. Download the Specialty Coffee & Water Conservation fact sheet now.
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