Members of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) have voted in favour of unifying with the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE). 56 per cent of members of the SCAA voted, and of those voting 62 per cent voted in favour of unification. In July 2016, members of the SCAE also voted in favour of unification of the 51 per cent of SCAE members who cast a vote, 86 per cent were in favour of unification.
“As the individuals that elected to represent you, our charge is and will continue to be to grow value for our members, to find new and better ways to achieve our common goals and be proactive to a changing world that demands new approaches to achieve success. We thank you for that opportunity to serve you and make coffee better for all of us,” said the Board of Directors of the SCAA.
“Ultimately, it is you, the members, who have ushered in the next phase of specialty coffee advocacy and innovation. Thank you for your passion, your dedication, your questions, and your time. Thank you for taking the time to attend webinars, in-person meetings and participating in all the important conversations that have taken place over the last year. Thank you for making sure your voice was included in the dialogue. And most importantly, thank you for casting your vote.
“Now we will get to work on the next steps in this process. Over the remainder of 2016 a great deal of planning and preparatory work will continue with the board, other volunteer leadership and staff to drive us forward in the right direction. However, for the most part many programs and benefits will not change during this time period. We will continue to be two separate organizations through the remainder of the year as much focus is put on infrastructure and planning for a shared future. We remain fully committed to open lines of communication with our members, and ensuring that members are the first to know as next steps are taken. When something important is about to happen, you will be the first to know.”
The SCAA board said that some of its immediate goals include: combining education programmes into a single, harmonious, global education programme, led by volunteer instructors and experts; new research to examine and better understand coffee science and consumer preferences; advancements in sustainability efforts; new opportunities for member engagement; opportunities for innovation, partnership, and networking across the US and beyond; multi-cultural leadership and opportunities for development; and updates to membership structure to simplify, streamline, and deliver better value to members.”