As the leading authority in the world of specialty coffee, the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is dedicated to fostering a vibrant and sustainable coffee community. At the heart of the SCA’s mission lies a commitment to excellence in every aspect of the coffee industry. From cultivation and harvesting to roasting, brewing, and beyond, the SCA sets rigorous standards to ensure that every cup of specialty coffee delivers an exceptional experience.
We spoke to Yannis Apostolopoulos, the CEO of the SCA, to delve into the core values and initiatives driving the SCA forward, his thoughts on the World of Coffee Dubai, his view on the impact of Ai on the industry, and his thoughts on the most important challenges facing the specialty coffee industry.
As you introduce yourself, could you recount your initial encounter with specialty coffee and the jouney that led you to becoming the CEO of the SCA?
Hi, I’m Yannis Apostolopoulos, from Athens, Greece, residing in Irvine, California. I’m the CEO of the Specialty Coffee Association.
My first memory of specialty coffee is back in 2005 when a coffee company we had partnered with presented their commitment, projects, and initiatives in Ethiopia. Even if that was not the moment that I got into the coffee business, it is still the moment I realized how wonderful coffee is. My favorite origin and brew method currently is….
Every origin is unique, with many varieties and species, with many different processes, and lots of producers trying hard to get us amazing coffees. As you can understand it is impossible to pick one as I enjoy having different coffees for various occasions. What I can say though I will always go for a great cup of espresso.
I’ve worked in fast-moving consumer goods for over 25 years, starting first with wine, spirits, and beer before moving on to coffee. I just love coffee and coffee people. I have always loved the relationships and conversations formed over coffee which drew me to the industry in the first place. It’s an industry full of people who are open, welcoming, and eager to share knowledge.
My first coffee job was serving as the Business and Sales Development Director for Karoulias in Greece. On a quest to dive deeper into coffee, I volunteered at the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe and eventually became the Vice President where I led the creation of the Barista and Roasters Guilds of Europe. I then served as the Specialty Coffee Association’s deputy Executive Director since the merger of the SCA and SCAE in 2017 which led to where I am now where my team and I work every day to make coffee better.
I’ve been to every one of the World of Coffee Dubai events. And it is growing rapidly. What are your hopes for how the Dubai event will continue to evolve, especially in terms of its impact on the specialty coffee industry in the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East.
Thanks for joining us in Dubai these last three years and hope you keep it going and join us next year. Dubai has established itself as a regional powerhouse in coffee as we see the industry blossom throughout the Middle East and North Africa. It’s one of the fastest-growing coffee markets. These regions have a long-standing coffee-drinking history which is now blending with modern coffee-drinking trends. To bring this together at World of Coffee helps make coffee amazing and our hope to continue to support the positive trajectory in making coffee better that is happening in the region.
At the moment, though, it does feel like it’s an event for the industry to meet each other and talk amongst themselves. Is that the purpose of World of Coffee? I’ve always had the opinion that, for the specialty coffee industry to grow, we need to engage more consumers, the average man on the street, people who might not drink specialty coffee at present. Do you think an event like this can do that or does the industry need to address that opportunity in other ways? Long story short, how do you think we need to get more consumers into specialty coffee?
The purpose of World of Coffee, and all our trade shows, is to create an opportunity for the community to expand their networks, enhance their coffee experiences, and encourage professional engagement and growth. It’s a great question on how we can “crack the code” to get more consumers into specialty coffee as they’re a vital part of our coffee family. This is going to be one of our focuses for the next few years; working on more consumer events and education. Our industry would not exist without the everyday coffee lover, and we are working to engage with this group even more this year and in the years to come. At this year’s event, we extended hours on the last day so more consumers could attend and look out for next year as we stretch our industry reach.
Ai is a trending topic lately. How it will impact our daily lives and, especially, our jobs. How do you foresee Ai will impact the specialty coffee industry? How does the Specialty Coffee Association balance embracing technological advancements, like the partnership with Thermoplan, with maintaining the authenticity and craftsmanship that defines specialty coffee?
First, I want to tell you how we define specialty coffee. Specialty coffee is a coffee or coffee experience that is recognized for its distinctive attributes, resulting in a higher value within the marketplace.
Our purpose as the SCA is to foster a global coffee community and support our entire industry, of which automation is a growing and significant part of, to help make coffee better. We need to embrace technology and its ability to make an excellent cup of coffee. Technology can allow baristas more time to communicate and connect with their customers for creative storytelling and to provide a unique customer experience. Part of craftsmanship is consistency, and this is something technology can lend a hand to. The world is changing fast, and we need to determine how value is creative, measured and distributed in all parts of the coffee value chain.
What are the key issues you believe the specialty coffee industry globally needs to focus on in the coming years to ensure the industry grows from strength to strength?
A major issue is creating a sustainable environment for our industry to thrive in. Our focus is on four main strategic objectives: To drive a sustainable specialty coffee agenda, expand our global network via local communities, create opportunities for professional engagement and individual growth, and enable outstanding global service delivery.
I want to stress that we’re committed to driving a sustainable specialty coffee agenda now and in the years to come. That means specialty coffee should be a thriving, equitable, and sustainable activity for the entire value chain – sustainability cannot remain a peripheral consideration in the pursuit of cup quality. The obstacles facing specialty coffee in the near- and long-term future are too large and too urgent for our global community and the companies and individuals that comprise it not to adapt and change our behaviors. We have ambitious plans for achieving our strategic goals and helping our industry flourish.
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