A REAL CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW ETHICAL YOUR CUP OF COFFEE IS.

On March 26 from 12:00 to 14:30, The Barista League will host a special educational panel discussion about certifications in specialty coffee.

Starting with the question, “why is talking about certifications so difficult?”, the voices of producers, certifying bodies, and green coffee buyers will build a fuller picture of certification, from their aims to their achievements, as well as the considerations that producers and green buyers take into account when making decisions.

This event will offer the unique opportunity to ask how ethical are we really being in the specialty coffee industry when we buy, sell and drink our coffee.

Speakers:

Sara Morrocchi | Vuna Origin Consulting | facebook

A social scientist by training, Sara began working as a development worker in Kenya in early 2000s, and started to grow an interest in ways to grow and strengthen rural supply chains in East Africa. She'has recently moved to Amsterdam to start her Vuna Origin Consulting, specialized in supply chain strategies and product development in green coffee and cacao. The perfect mix of origin travel, suppliers’ relationships and tropical products makes her work extremely exciting.

Elizabet Lim | Fair Trade Sweden

Elizabet is the business development manager for Fairtrade Sweden and will bring the valuable perspective of a certification organisation to our panel.  With the experience of someone who works directly within this structure we will get to see what impact they have on producers well being and why they are important to what we do in this industry.

Angel Mario Martinez-Garcia | Progreso Producer Development Program

Originally from Colima, Mexico, Angel Mario graduated in Marketing and started his career as a market research coordinator/strategic planner. In 2004, he made a life-changing move to the Netherlands to be involved in the Progreso program; and since 2009, has lead the program’s expansion in Africa and Asia. He is a member of the Sustainability Advisory Committee of the unified SCA. He has recently completed and MBA in Sustainable Business and has travelled to most of the coffee and cocoa producing countries in the world. He has gained tremendous first-hand experience of the issues affecting these sectors, and how to find out – together with smallholders producers - the best way to address them.

Joanna Alm | Drop Coffee | twitter – instagram

Joanna is the owner, head roaster and green buyer for Stockholm based Drop Coffee. She is a three time finalist in the World Roasting Championships and has extensive experience buying coffee both through a well known and respected importer as well as beginning to work with producers directly and has strong feelings about making sure that those on the coffee consuming end of the chain do good for those who produce it. Recently she has been working with Parul Sharma, head of Corportate Social Responsibility Compliance at Vinge Law firm to develop producer contracts and guidelines that stipulate certain farm working conditions to be met and document the buying process from start to finish