SCA Coffee Standards

What is a “standard”? 

A standard is a document which usually defines a number of requirements adopted by the actors of an industry. Trade associations who interact across industry actors, like the Specialty Coffee Association, may act as standardization bodies, or those who work to define and publish standards. Standards can be developed for technical aspects of products, equipment, or venues and non-technical categories, like professional competencies or sustainability. Standards can also include definitions or vocabulary to create a common language.

Within the SCA, standardization activity is carried out by the technical office, a Standards Development Panel (the liaison with stakeholders), and specific groups of experts to draft each standard. The product of this activity is a document—the SCA Standard—which is then published and revised periodically. In some cases, SCA Standards can then be used to develop an SCA Certification (e.g., the SCA’s Certified Home Brewer program).

How are these standards developed?

The SCA has recently instituted a new standards development process based on the association’s mission and values as well as stakeholder consensus. The SCA’s new standard development program, led by Technical Officer Dr. Mario R. Fernández-Alduenda, abides by specific principles and practices to ensure it benefits the coffee community.

The three elements of the program’s structure—program administration, expert groups, and the Standards Development Panel—are designed to act as a part of a value-creation cycle for users. The guiding principles and practices of the process are: user-focused development, voluntary implementation, global scope, innovation-fostering, inclusiveness, research-based development, relevance, consensus, transparency, quality, and efficiency. Learn more about the process below.

Published Standards

Standards in Development (2022-2023)

  • SCA-120 (2022) - Coffee Processing - Green Coffee Identity Standard

  • SCA-130 (2022) - Coffee Roasting - Roast Level Designations

  • SCA-510 (2022) - Coffee Training Venues - Specifications

About the Standards Development Panel

The purpose of the Standards Development Panel (SDP or “the Panel”) is to represent the interests of different stakeholder groups to review and ultimately approve the standards issued by the Specialty Coffee Association. The Panel also serves as the liaison mechanism to query the community about standard development matters.

Development Procedure

  1. The process can be initiated by SCA members, SCA staff, or the scheduled revision and update of an existing standard. Initiatives approved by the Standards Development Panel (SDP) are included in the standards development schedule. Updates of existing standard do not require approval to be included in the schedule.

  2. The standard is assigned to a staff leader, depending on its category (technical, sustainability, professional competencies). The leader and the technical office invite select experts to be part of the new standard expert group and produce the scope of work for the group.

  3. The expert group produces the new standard draft, coordinated by the leader. Each group has the freedom to self-organize as a team but must meet the terms in the scope of work.

  4. The standard draft is vetted by the leader and the technical office for consistency and compliance with required format.

  5. The standard draft is submitted to the SDP.

  6. Each panel member is expected to consult with stakeholders, to get feedback. The panel is allowed two months for this consultation activity, after which time each panel member is required to submit a comments form, including their recommendation to accept or reject the standard draft. For the standard to be approved, a simple majority of panel members should have voted (abstentions do not count) and at least two-thirds of members voting should have given their approval.

  7. The comments from the panel are addressed by the expert group.

  8. At this point, depending on the voting from the SDP, several things might happen: the new standard might be approved after the comments are addressed, a new version of the standard might be resubmitted for review (in which case the steps #4 and onwards above are repeated), or the standard might be rejected by the panel, in which case the process would need to start over.

  9. Approved standards are published here, after a final style review to assure compliance with the SCA Style Guide.

SDP Members

Voting Members

  1. One (1) representative from the Barista Guild leadership council (Zoey Thorson)

  2. One (1) representative from the Coffee Roasters Guild leadership council (Tonny Butera)

  3. One (1) representative from the Coffee Technicians Guild leadership council (Hylan Joseph)

  4. Two (2) representatives from the SCA Board of Directors (Andrew Tolley, Yi-Ling Wu)

Attending (Non-voting) Members

  1. The SCA Technical Officer acts as non-voting panel secretary

  2. The Executive Director of the Coffee Science Foundation acts as non-voting observer and scientific liaison

How Can I Participate?

Propose a Standard

Community members have the right to propose new standards through their guilds or directly through the SCA’s technical office (standards@sca.coffee). Standards are included in the development calendar based on pertinence and availability of human and financial resources for their development. The SDP votes which proposed standards will be included in the development calendar each year.

Draft a Standard

If you would like to be part of an expert database for future standard drafting, please send your CV and areas of interest to the SCA’s technical office (standards@sca.coffee). Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee all volunteers will be part of an expert group, as expert groups are kept to a size of 10-15 members and stakeholders directly impacted by the standard have priority.

Review a Standard

If you are a member of the community directly impacted by one of the standards currently under development, you have the right to review them and comment on them. Please contact your guild leadership group, if you belong to a guild, or our technical office, if not: standards@sca.coffee.