Cup of winners: how excellent!

As the most esteemed award given out for top coffee, the Cup of Excellence has fundamentally changed how the industry defines an exemplary blend. Every year the foundation showcases a complex competition for coffee farmers in South and Central America that allows growers to showcase their unique blends. Along with sizeable prizes, the competition promotes the chance for a new life that some never imagined.

Often touted as the Oscars of coffee, the Cup of Excellence is a well-renowned and honored competition designed to identify, promote and earn better prices for quality coffees. Owned by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc., a U.S. based non-profit corporation, "the award focuses on individual empowerment, training, and education by building cooperative relationships among great coffee companies worldwide," states the company (organization). Funded by the International Coffee Organization, the International Trade Centre, and the United Nations Common Fund for Commodities, the Cup of Excellence has created a unique forum for roasters, consumers, and farmers. Over the past seven years competitions have been conducted in Brazil, Colombia, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Bolivia that has been exciting for all involved but more so for the small-holding farmer whose monetary reward offers an opportunity for using specialty coffee as a way to create a better life.

Prior to this competition, coffee tended to taste homogeneous with little recognition for the individual farmer or the unique flavor profiles that specialty varieties contain. According to executive director Susie Spindler, "Producers were frustrated at the inability of Brazil to gain appeal of the U.S. specialty coffee buyers. George Howell, quality consultant for Brazil discovered coffees previously unknown and unappreciated by U.S. roasters. Howell, Silvio Leite, and Marcelo Vieira (president of The Brazil Specialty Coffee Association), held the vision that Brazil's distinctive coffees were just as valuable as some of the better-known specialty origins. In 1999, the idea was conceptualized in response to these issues along with international governmental support that felt a competition and auction was an effective way to recognize farmers monetarily for their hard work and effort without being considered a charity."

Finding the Niche

One of the Cup of Excellence's aim is to recognize and support farmers while providing buyers with premium coffees by highlighting regions that were previously unnoticed. By doing so, this program has lifted several small farmers out of anonymity to gain not only fame in their community but also increased funds as their product attains a worldwide appeal.

In order to determine such distinctive flavor profiles, coffees undergo a stringent three-stage selection process that includes a pre-selection, national, and an international jury. According to Howell, "The cupping form rates the cup quality using multiple categories determining its defects, cleanliness, sweetness, quality of acidity, flavor, and aftertaste." Judges must come to a unanimimous decision as three overlapping juries inspect and cup samples. "We all become students again and share in the rejuvenation of the true discovery of quality," states a Cup of Excellence judge. The coffee is cupped at least five different times during the competition process as coffees that continuously score high enough move forward in the competition. The final winners are awarded the Cup of Excellence and sold to the highest bidder during an Internet auction.

Cup of Success

Though the ceremony is an extraordinary and thrilling affair, the rarely discussed but equally exciting aspect is how this unique event significantly changes the lives of the farmers. According to Juan Carlos Rada, Colombian Cup of Excellence Coordinator, "It is not easy to express the feeling I had as a judge at the award ceremonies ... for growers being part of the winners is almost like winning the lottery." He added, "There is a expression in Spanish that the growers say: "'Se me aparecio la Virgen Maria,' which means the holy Virgin Mary has appeared to me with the prize!"

According to Rada "Recognition in the industry is the biggest stimuli they have in their lives." Following the award, farmers can look to receive a substantial payment from roasters and importers. "After a roaster buys the coffee at a significant premium, the farmer receives 85% of auction proceeds. In 2005, the Cup of Excellence averaged over $4.00-lb for all of its coffees. The top price being $49.75 where 15% stays with the organizing committee to help pay for the event," Spindler said.

Cup of Profit

According to the Cup of Excellence, "The positive impact on the quality of life for a winning farmer and his family is immediate as the auction money is often spent on means to strengthen their farms. They often use the money for farm improvements, building churches, family education which can change their economic livelihood for the long term even if they do not win every year."

"People are so overwhelmed at first that they don't know what to purchase. They know they have the power to change their situation, so in a sense the prize is used to make their lives better--more livable," Rada added. Most farmers buy the simplest things to maintain their homes, building another room in their house, or buy land. Don Natividad Benitez, the 2005 winner from Honduras used a portion of his earnings to purchase a house dose to the ocean and a car. The car has enabled him to have an easier method to travel around his region that previously took hours to reach. Farmers have been also known to use the prize money to pay back bank loans, fund their children's education, and save for their futures. "For me, my children are my life. They deserve to go to school," said Columbia's coffee winner Luis Alberto Jojoa. Jojoa has four children with only two years of formal education, for him "school is the only way to improve my family"

According to Rada, a winner from the first competition was able to use his award to travel to the SCAA conference in Seattle, where he made valuable industry contacts with the roaster who purchased his coffee as well as potential new suppliers. Farmers often don't get the luxury to travel, Rada interjected, "The award allows them to see the world in a whole new light."

Cup of Production

"Farmers attain a new level of professionalism that comes with such a prestigious award. "Several farmers invest their prize money in the production of their crops with a strict management and development system," said Rada. They use the prize money to improve the infrastructure or their "beneficiadero" (the place where the coffee is decupled, washed and dried).

Winners of the first award, father-and-daughter team, Mauricio Batelle Mena and Aida Batelle of H Salvador broke international records when they received $14.06/lb. for a total of $37,962 for 2,700 lbs. After the auction Mena and Batelle was able to pay their coffee pickers 50% higher than the legal wage. This increase has resulted in workers overall mental well-being as well as a continued quality product that is still bought by notable buyers in the industry.

Farmer Francisco Isidro Dias Pereira from the Minas Gerais estate in Carmo de Minas, Brazil experienced a similar newfound professionalism, "There has been a huge change in behavior and administration in the productive units, cooperatives, and associations." After three competitions in Colombia, Rada saw a huge commitment from the growers in the quality process. "Every year there is an increment in the volume of bags of superior quality coffees and more producers involved with the production of special coffees. The exchange information among producers is increasing."

After the 2001 competition, Pereira changed his production process with his award money and assistance from his local coffee association APROCAM. "The money was important but only to invest back to the coffee." "Coffee is part of our daily routine that before was more focused on paying bills and maintaining land."

Pereira, like most farmers use their prize money to invest in marketing. "Farmers invest to keep their product up to date." said Rada. Pereira stated, "We insisted on visiting the buyers of our 10 winning lots because without the connection and approval, of them our brand does stand out against the competition." Pereira added, "The public recognition of the prize puts us in contact with our potential customers that generates a return in profits."

Cup of Community

Winning the prize also upholds a unique experience to the region. Prior to the competition Benitez was deeply involved in the church and his community. After winning the award, he felt complelled to do something important. Benitez, in conjunction with members of the community used his money to start construction on a local church. The church has been in production since 2005 with an expected opening in June 2007.

Rada also ackowledged its unique impact on his region, "There was a coffee grower in the first competition who was the only one from his village who participated and eventually became a finalist. This year at his third competition, almost 100% of his neighbors participated as well." After a farmer participates, the community experiences firsthand the fruits of his labor. Other members of the community want to assist the community that may impact "future investments in education, employment, tourism, trade, distribution of income, finally, constant and maintainable evolution of the regional population."

According to Pereira, "Since 2002, our city and micro-region have been participating actively. We always have a participation of approximately 33% of the winning lots and finalists. In 2005, the Sertao Group obtained the third place and our micro-region had approximately 66% of the finalists and champions. Pereira added, "Winning the contest is a statement that we are dedicated to improvements and change in the production process for obtaining coffees of high quality."

Spindler sums up the impact of the prize, "The wide-ranging effect on the farmers has astounded the beginning members of the program. We have been ecstatic as roasters tell us of customers experiencing these great coffees for the first time and are now on their own discovery path. We have sat teary eyed listening to farmers as they tell us how the auction premium saved their farm or bought their family a future and their children an education and we are hopeful that many of our young national cuppers now have new careers and a more hopeful future."