Coffee Quality Institute Launches New Initiatives to Enhance Coffee Quality Worldwide

• During its annual luncheon in Houston, the CEO of the Coffee Quality Institute, Michael Sheridan, announced major expansions to the Global Coffee Fund, the launch of the “Pennies-per-Pound” program, and a strategic partnership with the Specialty Coffee Association. Discover how CQI plans to make a broader impact in 2025.

At the Coffee Quality Institute’s (CQI) annual luncheon held last Saturday in Houston, CEO Michael Sheridan unveiled three key initiatives that mark a bold step forward in CQI’s mission to improve coffee quality and uplift the lives of coffee producers globally.

While recent headlines have been dominated by broader market challenges, Sheridan reminded the Quality Institute CQI community not to lose sight of the important progress being made — progress that he believes will lay the groundwork for deeper, more sustainable impact in producing countries.

“There have been a lot of headlines over the last week, but I want to make sure that we don’t lose track of some really good news,” Sheridan said.

1. Global Coffee Fund

Originally launched in 2023, the Quality Institute CQI Global Coffee Fund aims to expand access to coffee quality education in origin countries. After supporting 14 initiatives across 11 countries in 2024, CQI is now targeting a $150,000 funding goal for 2025. These funds will provide:

• Scholarships for individuals seeking post-harvest processing education

• Fellowships to help build a qualified network of certified trainers

Sheridan emphasized that while the financial scale is still growing, the momentum is real — and Quality Institute CQI is calling on industry stakeholders to co-invest through direct grants to the fund.

2. Pennies-per-Pound

Quality Institute CQI also announced the launch of its Pennies-per-Pound Program, which enables roasters to voluntarily add per-pound contributions to CQI within green coffee contracts — similar to other industry “check-off” models.

Seven green coffee trading companies have already committed to supporting this effort:

• Atlantic Specialty Coffee

• Covoya Specialty Coffee

• Falcon Coffees

• Royal Coffee

• RGC Coffee

• Sustainable Harvest

• Volcafe Specialty

“This initiative creates a simple and sustainable way for more companies to take part in strengthening quality and supporting producers,” Sheridan noted.

3. Strategic Partnership

In a major development for CQI’s long-term project sustainability, Sheridan announced a new agreement with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), which includes annual contributions from SCA to support CQI’s project work. He described the agreement as historic and instrumental in expanding CQI’s global footprint.

A Message from the CEO

“We will be traveling widely in 2025 and look forward to meeting with you to explore ways we can advance this mission together. With kind regards and gratitude for your continued support of CQI and our mission,”
— Michael Sheridan, CEO of the Coffee Quality Institute

Call to Action

If you’re a coffee roaster, trader, or industry ally looking to support CQI’s mission, visit [CQI’s Global Coffee Fund page] or reach out to learn how your organization can participate in these new initiatives.