Brazil Specialty Coffee Association and the Specialty Coffee Association Partner to Make Coffee Value Assessment the Official Standard for Brazilian Specialty Coffee

New agreement establishes CVA as the national protocol for evaluating Brazilian specialty coffees, strengthening quality, transparency, and educational access across the country. 

Varginha, Brazil | May 8, 2025 — The Brazil Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA) and the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) have announced a strategic partnership adopting the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) as the official protocol for evaluating Brazilian specialty coffees. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) cements Brazil’s position as a global leader in specialty coffee innovation and sets a new national standard for quality assessment. 

Brazil is the world’s largest coffee producer and the second-largest coffee-consuming country, with a diverse range of microclimates and coffee profiles found across its many growing regions. This agreement follows the similar MOU with National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, making Brazil the second country to integrate the CVA into its national evaluation framework and reinforcing a growing global shift toward a more holistic, equitable approach to quality. 
 
In addition to the adoption of CVA, the agreement strongly focuses on education and professional development. BSCA will lead the expansion of SCA Education in Brazil, collaborating closely with SCA to deliver internationally recognized training and certification programs. The goal is to make high-quality education more accessible to coffee professionals across the country—from producers and cuppers to roasters and quality managers—helping build the skills and capacity needed to thrive in a dynamic global market. 

“This MoU reflects our commitment to strengthening Brazil’s leadership in specialty coffee through innovation, education, and global connection,” said Vinicius Estrela, Executive Director of the BSCA. “By adopting the Coffee Value Assessment as our official protocol and working closely with the SCA to expand training and education, we’re creating new opportunities for producers and helping shape a more inclusive and transparent future for coffee.” 

As part of the agreement, SCA will provide technical support to ensure a successful rollout of the CVA nationwide, including training BSCA’s cuppers and technical teams, assisting in data collection and analysis, and supporting BSCA-led events with content and international promotion. The CVA was developed by SCA to assess not just flavor, but also physical, affective, descriptive, and extrinsic attributes. It offers a shared language to help producers and buyers connect around the full value of coffee. 

“Brazil’s endorsement of the Coffee Value Assessment is a powerful signal to the global coffee community,” said Yannis Apostolopoulos, CEO of the Specialty Coffee Association. “Together with BSCA, we are laying the foundation for a more transparent, inclusive, and informed coffee industry. This is how we make coffee better—for producers, for buyers, and for coffee lovers around the world.” 

The MoU builds on a longstanding relationship between SCA and BSCA. By aligning national practices with an international framework for evaluation and education, this partnership ensures that Brazilian coffees continue to lead in both quality and innovation, while empowering producers to thrive in an evolving global marketplace. 

To learn more about this partnership and the implementation of the CVA in Brazil, visit www.bsca.com.br.