Just days after reaffirming the scientific foundation of the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) in an interview with Qahwa World, Garfield Kerr, President of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), has announced a new collaboration with the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) to evolve the Q-Grader program.
In the April 6th interview, Kerr described the CVA as a “great leap forward,” grounded in scientific research and developed to bring greater clarity and fairness to how coffee is evaluated across the value chain. “I am very much excited about the CVA, as I am driven by data and empirical hard evidence,” Kerr said, adding that it separates and assigns value to both objective and subjective criteria—an approach he believes serves everyone from producers to consumers.
Speaking directly to potential alignment with CQI’s protocols, Kerr stated, “The global industry is best served by everyone adopting this new approach… I think CQI will be a valuable partner and will eventually adopt the CVA.” That vision now appears to be moving forward, with Kerr confirming the partnership via a public statement:
“I’m excited to announce that we’re working with the Coffee Quality Institute to evolve the Q-Grader program. Come visit us at Coffee Expo in Houston next week to find out more.”
The Q-Grader program, long recognized as a benchmark in assessing Arabica quality, may now be entering a new chapter—infused with the CVA’s data-driven structure, rooted in contemporary sensory science, and more adaptable to different cultures, markets, and quality expressions.
Kerr has previously emphasized the importance of speaking with “one voice” across the industry, and this collaboration may be the first concrete step in bringing greater unity to global coffee evaluation systems. With both organizations at the forefront of specialty coffee development, the move signals a shared commitment to innovation, transparency, and equitable value distribution throughout the supply chain.