ABOUT SCA
RESEARCH
The Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) is the Specialty Coffee Association’s system and tool for evaluating coffee. It offers a high-resolution picture of each coffee’s attributes, helping to understand why a coffee is valuable, and to which markets.
Research reports & publications
This research exists to give coffee professionals and businesses the knowledge they need to make more informed decisions, whether that's setting an industry standard, designing an education curriculum, or understanding how the market is innovating for the future. Alongside our scientific work, we publish market reports, survey reports, and industry analyses that track the trends, challenges, and opportunities that define the coffee sector.
Explore reports, studies, and industry insights developed by SCA and research partners across the global coffee community.
These publications cover topics ranging from coffee value systems and sustainability to sensory science, brewing research, and market analysis.
Digital Store Publications
Member only resources
Please note that these resources are only available for members. SCA membership is free, become a member to access all resources.
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Additional resources
Expand your knowledge with guides and research references designed for the specialty coffee community:
Coffee Decoded
An interactive tool to calculate and interpret affective assessment scores from the CVA framework. Designed for use alongside the SCA-104 form.
Botanist’s Guide to Specialty Coffee
Standardized definitions for all CVA terminology, available in English and translated into multiple languages for global use.
Coffee Plants of the World
Reference examples for olfactory descriptors used in descriptive assessment. Helps calibrate and align evaluators on aroma and fragrance terminology.
Specialty Coffee Facts & Figures
Access industry data, statistics, and insights.
Press Resources
Access industry data, statistics, and insights.
Get involved in coffee research
Coffee research grows through collaboration across the specialty coffee community. SCA works with researchers, industry professionals, businesses, and partners to support studies that expand knowledge and create practical impact across the coffee industry.
Whether you are exploring industry insights, supporting scientific research, or applying research through education and standards, SCA research helps strengthen the future of specialty coffee.
