SCA Sparks Uproar, Confusion with Takeover of Q Grader Program

by

Editorial Policy

Published on

✉️ This story was featured in this week’s Coffee News Club
👋 Get the Coffee News Club newsletter in your inbox weekly—sign up.

In what the two organizations are calling “a historic partnership,” the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is taking over management of the Q Grader program from the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI).

For over two decades, the CQI has administered the Q Grader program. The program is a rigorous professional certification that has trained thousands of coffee professionals to build the sensory skills necessary to evaluate and assess coffee quality. 

Now, the CQI is handing over control to the SCA, which will “evolve the content” of the Q program to “provide better support and more accessible educational opportunities to the coffee industry,” according to a press release.

This “evolved” certification will be based on the SCA’s Coffee Value Assessment (CVA), the organization’s updated cupping standards. The goal of the CVA is to move evaluation away from a single 100-point score and toward a more holistic appreciation of coffee’s value.

“Coffee is more than a score. The partnership between SCA and CQI to evolve the Q Grader program is the latest milestone towards delivering on the SCA’s purpose to make coffee better,” said SCA CEO Yannis Apostolopoulos in the announcement. “Upon completion of the program, Q Graders holding the evolved, CVA-based license will set the standard for modern coffee evaluation.”

Because news broke just before the start of the SCA Expo conference in Houston, people (including us) are still trying to figure out what this move means. The reaction thus far on social media has been mostly either confused or negative. Some have gone to the comments section on the SCA’s Instagram announcement post to raise their concerns.

Some have cited concerns over additional costs (the Q training program is already costly). Others expressed confusion over what the shift could mean for their existing certification. Some expressed frustration that the SCA is focusing on acquiring the Q grading program and not addressing concerns over the current coffee price crisis or the threat of tariffs to the coffee industry.

The CQI has an FAQ page that responds to some questions, but many remain unanswered—keep an eye out for another patented Fresh Cup Explainer shortly.

Read the full story from Sprudge here.

Share This Article
Avatar photo

Fionn Pooler

Fionn Pooler is a coffee roaster and freelance writer currently based in the Scottish Highlands who has worked in the specialty coffee industry for over a decade. Since 2016 he has written the Pourover, a newsletter and blog that uses interviews and critical analysis to explore coffee’s place in the wider, changing world (and also yell at corporations).

Join 7,000+ coffee pros and get top stories, deals, and other industry goodies in your inbox each week.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


Other Articles You May Like

As Heat Advisories are Issued Across US, Should You Skip Coffee?

Both the NWS and the Centers for Disease Control advise people to limit intake of caffeinated drinks—as well as alcoholic and sugary beverages—during heatwaves.
by Fionn Pooler | July 23, 2025

Who Will Grow Coffee in the Future? Industry Faces a ‘Demographic Cliff’

One issue that also poses an imminent threat to coffee is age: coffee farmers are getting older, and younger generations are not always interested in taking over.
by Fionn Pooler | July 22, 2025

Coffee News Club: Week of July 21st

Is it safe to drink coffee during a heatwave? Experts weigh in. Plus more tariff news and confronting the generational gap that threatens the future of coffee.
by Fionn Pooler | July 21, 2025

Coffee Traders Race to Bring Coffee to the US and Beat Tariff Deadline

Coffee traders are scrambling to import as much coffee as they can to the United States by August 1st to avoid a potential 50% tariff.
by Fionn Pooler | July 21, 2025