Today, we’re very happy to present the fourth episode of “Value Chains: Transparency and Market Linkages,” a session recorded at Re:co Symposium this past April. Acknowledging that this isn’t the first coffee price crisis, this session brought leaders together to ask: How successful were the tools we employed previously? What new tools offer potential solutions?

If you haven’t listened to the previous episodes in this series, we strongly recommend going back to listen before you continue with this episode.

For over 20 years, the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) has worked to improve coffee quality through a diverse set of programs addressing foundational issues affecting the value chain. These programs have been aimed at improving the lives of people and communities who produce coffee. During this time, CQI has had a front-row seat to a multitude of private and public sector projects that have sought to resolve the serious issues that face our industry. Certainly, there have been both challenges and successes. Do global training and quality improvement programs result in positive changes? Which strategies have worked, and which have met roadblocks? Here, Ellen Jordan Reidy shares the “lessons learned” which are relevant in today’s coffee world.

Special Thanks to Toddy

This talk from Re:co Boston is supported by Toddy. For over 50 years, Toddy brand cold brew systems have delighted baristas, food critics, and regular folks alike. By extracting all the natural and delicious flavors of coffee and tea, Toddy Cold Brew Systems turn your favorite coffee beans and tea leaves into fresh cold brew concentrates, that are ready to serve and enjoy. Learn more about Toddy at http://www.toddycafe.com.

Related Links

• Read a full transcript of this episode on SCA News
• Watch the full Re:co video on YouTube
• Watch all the Re:co videos on YouTube
• Read more about the 2019 Re:co speakers

Table of Contents 

2:40 An introduction the story of the Specialty Coffee Institute and initiatives that didn’t work initially
9:30 The story of the CQI’s Coffee Corps project and the Q grader program, including Q Processing and the Partnership for Gender Equity
18:30 CQI’s future work projects in China, Myanmar, and Yemen
22:45 To address the current price crisis we need to ask ourselves, "How can I help?" and, "How can we make the people around us more powerful?"
27:20 Outro