The Global Shift in Coffee Evaluation

Both Colombia’s Coffee Growers Federation and Brazil’s BSCA have now signed on to adopt the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) — a new framework developed by the Specialty Coffee Association.

It’s a bold move aimed at bringing more transparency, consistency, and equity to how coffee is evaluated — but it also raises big questions about what we’re gaining… and what we might be losing

What Is the CVA?

Launched by the SCA, the Coffee Value Assessment is a new, more holistic framework for evaluating coffee. It’s not just about what a coffee tastes like — it’s about how it performs physically, how it's perceived subjectively, and what context adds to its value.

Here’s how the CVA breaks it down:

1. Physical Assessment

Looks at the green coffee: moisture, defect count, bean size. Is it physically sound?

2. Descriptive Assessment

Describes flavor and aroma without scoring. For example: “bergamot, brown sugar, red currant” — no judgment, just a shared language.

3. Affective Assessment

Captures how much a taster liked the coffee. This is where personal preference and emotional response come in.

4. Extrinsic Assessment

Acknowledges that context matters. Factors like origin, processing, sustainability practices, or social impact all contribute to a coffee’s perceived value.

Why Was the CVA Created?

The traditional cupping system has been the industry standard for years. But it’s also had real limitations:

• It blends objectivity and subjectivity, often without clarity.

• It penalizes unique or unconventional flavor profiles that don’t fit a narrow mold.

• It leaves producers in the dark, especially when they receive little feedback beyond a number.

• And it can turn a complex sensory experience into a game of decimal points.

A coffee scoring 83.5 might be delicious and expressive….but not qualify for a premium. Another might be rated 87 by one buyer, 84 by another, with no real explanation. But that’s another conversation entirely…

The CVA was created to separate what a coffee is (its characteristics and context) from how much someone liked it. It’s meant to be more transparent, more nuanced, and in theory more fair?

But There Are Some Real Challenges

For all their flaws, numeric scores gave us a shared shorthand.
An 83, 85, or 90 had meaning….not just globally, but within teams.
Inside QC labs, those numbers reflected a collective understanding of quality and flavor.
Were they perfect? Not even close.
But they offered a quick, agreed-upon baseline to compare coffees and communicate clearly. Now, with the CVA, that anchor is gone.

We have descriptors, impressions, and context instead.

It’s richer, yes! Yet harder to reference at speed, and harder to build internal pattern recognition around.

What We’re Watching

We’re not here to pick sides — we’re here to stay informed, stay curious, and share what we learn.

The CVA is still in its early days. Some buyers are adopting it. Others are holding off.

We’re watching:

• How competitions respond…..will judges start using CVA?

• How roasters adjust their QC and sourcing protocols?

• How producers respond and whether this gives them a clearer path to communicate value?

Final Thought

The CVA isn’t perfect. But neither was the score sheet….

It’s a reminder that the tools we use to define “quality” carry real weight 
they affect pricing, relationships, and which coffees get attention.

Ask yourself…

• What do we actually value in coffee?

• How do we talk about it — clearly, fairly, respectfully?

• And what kind of system supports the people who grow, roast, brew, and serve it?

We’ll keep learning. We’ll keep sharing.
And we hope you’ll keep asking questions with us.

Reading: Standart Magazine - Issue 38. This one’s packed! Issue 38 hits on all sides of the coffee value chain. Great Sunday read with a pour-over in hand

Watching: The World Brewers Cup is live this weekend. I'll be tuning into the stream to watch some of the best brewers in the world do their thing! Watch Here?!

Listening: Sometimes you don’t need another podcast. This week, I've been looping this playlist while brewing each morning. Clean and mellow — just like my coffee

Brewing: I’ve got a feeling one of these coffees might take the crown at this weekend’s World Brewers Cup. I’m brewing the winning one 😉

Distance: Buy the Drip run club. Clocking some kilometers. Help us push a few more kilometers through this week?

Want to join us as we hit the road? Let’s connect on Strava! or, join our Whoop group - just respond to the email and let’s grind together!