Specialty Coffee Association Opens Global Nominations for the 2024 Sustainability Awards

Prepare for a groundbreaking moment in the coffee industry as the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) announces the commencement of nominations for the highly esteemed 2024 Sustainability Awards. This distinguished recognition serves as a guiding light, spotlighting the outstanding contributions of both for-profit and non-profit organizations in crafting a sustainable trajectory for the coffee sector.

Extended Submission Deadline: January 31, 2024

The 2024 Sustainability Awards recognize for-profit and non-profit organizations that advance sustainability in the coffee sector while inspiring others to initiate similar endeavors.

Since 2004, the SCA has recognized outstanding work in the field of sustainability with its annual Sustainability Awards. The companies, organizations, projects, and people receiving these awards have not only dedicated themselves to confronting the enormous challenges facing the specialty coffee industry—from climate change to gender inequality—but also to collaborating across geographies, cultures, and value chain roles, and to sharing the lessons they have learned for the benefit of the entire coffee sector.

This year’s 2024 Sustainability Award Winners will be announced in 2024.

Winners will be recognized for their achievement at the SCA Expo in Chicago, USA, from April 12-14, 2024, and at World of Coffee Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark from June 27-29, 2024.

The 2024 Sustainability Awards are generously brought to you by TricorBraun Flex.

We are now accepting Nominations for the 2024 Sustainability Awards. The deadline to submit an application is January 31, 2024.

Categories:

FOR-PROFIT:

This award recognizes the role that for-profit companies play in the sustainability of the coffee sector. Please note that this award is for businesses that have been operating for at least three years. Products, projects, and ideas do not qualify for the award.

Judging Criteria:

Exceptional approach. For-profit organizations will pursue equity, prioritize mutual benefits, and address intertwined social, economic, and environmental challenges facing coffee value chains.
Adaptability. Business practices will be relevant to companies of various sizes and across diverse cultures and geographies.
Impact. Businesses will clearly articulate how their models have achieved measurable results.
Equitable Value Distribution. The SCA uses the Sustainability Awards to advance its sustainability agenda by shaping mindsets about how value is created, measured, and distributed in coffee value chains and within firms. For-profit organizations will be evaluated on their efforts towards distributing value more equitably.
For this question, please bear in mind that the SCA does not use “value” to solely refer to money, but rather to a combination of different types of reward in relation to the cost or investment made.

“Equitable distribution” refers to how the total value (monetary and non-monetary) created by all actors in the coffee system is distributed among them. Equitable distribution does not result in everyone receiving the same reward, but rather the right reward for the value they add, the risks they take, and the costs they bear.

Eligibility and Process:

This annual award is open to SCA members. Applications must be submitted by, or on behalf of, a business in operation for a minimum of three years. An individual may submit applications for multiple businesses.

For 2024, there will be two rounds of review: first, a team of SCA staff will review all submissions that meet the requirements listed in the form below, considering a wide range of applicationsfrom across the specialty coffee industry.

A second round of applicants will be selected as finalists and may be asked to provide additional information to a panel of judges comprised of previous SCA Sustainability Award Winners.

Prize:

SCA Sustainability Award Winner plaque
SCA Sustainability Award Winner logo for promotional use
Recognition on sca.coffee, in SCA News article and in press release
One complimentary three-day pass to the 2024 Specialty Coffee Expo in Chicago, USA, and/or one complimentary three-day pass to the 2024 World of Coffee Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark
Sustainability Awards Reception in the SCA Community Lounge at Expo and World of Coffee events (specific times to be determined)
Option to design and deliver a Lecture at either the Expo or the World of Coffee event
A US $1,500 travel stipend to attend the 2024 Expo and/or World of Coffee Europe events events

NON-PROFIT:

This award celebrates a non-profit organization (or one of its projects) that advances the coffee sector’s pursuit of sustainability. Please note that this award is only for organizations/projects that have been operating for at least three years. Products, companies, business models, and ideas do not qualify for the award.

Judging Criteria:

Exceptional approach. Non-profit organizations will pursue equity, prioritize mutual benefits, and address intertwined social, economic, and environmental challenges facing coffee value chains.
Adaptability.

Organization practices will be relevant to organizations of various sizes and across diverse cultures and geographies.
Impact.

Organizations will clearly articulate how their models have achieved measurable results.

Equitable Value Distribution. The SCA uses the Sustainability Awards to advance its sustainability agenda by shaping mind

sets about how value is created, measured, and distributed in coffee value chains and within firms. For-profit organizations will be evaluated on their efforts towards distributing value more equitably.

For this question, please bear in mind that the SCA does not use “value” to solely refer to money, but rather to a combination of different types of reward in relation to the cost or investment made.

“Equitable distribution” refers to how the total value (monetary and non-monetary) created by all actors in the coffee system is distributed among them. Equitable distribution does not result in everyone receiving the same reward, but rather the right reward for the value they add, the risks they take, and the costs they bear.

Eligibility and Process:

This annual award is open to SCA members. Applications must be submitted by, or on behalf of, an organization or project in operation for a minimum of three years. An individual may submit applications for multiple organizations/projects.

For 2024, there will be two rounds of review: first, a team of SCA staff will review all submissions that meet the requirements listed in the form below, considering a wide range of applications from across the specialty coffee industry.

A second round of applicants will be selected as finalists and may be asked to provide additional information to a panel of judges comprised of previous SCA Sustainability Award Winners.

Prize:

SCA Sustainability Award Winner plaque
SCA Sustainability Award Winner logo for promotional use
Recognition on sca.coffee, in SCA News article and in press release
One complimentary three-day pass to the 2024 Specialty Coffee Expo in Chicago, USA, and/or one complimentary three-day pass to the 2024 World of Coffee Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark
Sustainability Awards Reception in the SCA Community Lounge at Expo and World of Coffee events (specific times to be determined)
Option to design and deliver a Lecture at either the Expo or the World of Coffee event
A US $1,500 travel stipend to attend the 2024 Expo and/or World of Coffee Europe events

A note on the Individual Award:

The SCA is reevaluating how to best identify and celebrate individuals from across the value chain who have contributed to advancing sustainability in the coffee industry and will pause the Individual Award until further notice.

If you have any questions on how to complete your submission, please contact: sustainability@sca.coffee