As of now, the decision on whether I will be at the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA) 19th Annual Conference & Exhibition is up in the air. If I do (or not), this will be my first experience as a "blogger." The last time I visited the annual gathering was in 2005 here in Seattle. That was both fun and interesting - though costly. This year, however, I will be following the annual event and its pilgrims purposefully.
While I am still deciding on whether or not to fly, I already have a story of my initial experience with the SCAA and will share it here soon.
Regardless, I think the SCAA Annual Conference & Exhibition is one of the most important gatherings happening in the coffee industry. If you plan to be at there, do meet Siel the greenLAgirl ; she said wants to hear from you. To read her recent writing "Coffee Break: Starbucks' Misleading Numbers," click here.
On a more serious note, I thought it was great that the keynote speaker will be someone who is familiar with the living conditions of coffee farmers in East Africa. SCAA introduces him as the "Visionary Coffee Cooperative Leader David Robinson," and following is the press release.
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Visionary Coffee Cooperative Leader David Robinson to Keynote Specialty Coffee Conference
March 26, 2007David Robinson, visionary coffee leader for Mshikamano Farmers Group, an East African cooperative of over 300 small-scale coffee farmers in Tanzania, will present a can’t-miss keynote at the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA) 19th Annual Conference & Exhibition, May 4 – 7, at the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, Calif. Robinson, who is also the son of legendary baseball integrator and civil rights defender Jackie Robinson, will share personal experiences and insights on quality East African coffee and sustainable farming. The keynote will take place Friday, May 4, 5:30 – 7 p.m. A welcome reception will take place after the keynote at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific. SCAA is the world's largest coffee trade association with member companies from over 40 countries.
“The Mshikamano coffee cooperative is an effort to change a bleak reality. It’s a voice, a window and a means of joining the world community,” said Robinson. “At its basic foundation, Mshikamano is a belief that we’re capable of bringing dignity and resources to farmers and joy to the consumer community. To achieve this goal, we pursue sustainable coffee excellence and deliver it through systems and organizations created by the farmers themselves. My keynote will highlight the cooperative and my life’s passion: work in Africa and the integration of Africa into the global community and the lives of African-Americans.”
Robinson is the first SCAA keynote presenter to focus on the development of East African specialty coffee as well as the sustainability and quality of its farming community. More than 10,000 coffee professionals will attend the event to learn more.
In the 1980s, Robinson and his family acquired 280 acres of forest in the southern highlands of Tanzania. Between 1990 and 1992, they planted 29,000 coffee seedlings across 60 acres, launching not only David Robinson’s career as a coffee farmer, but also the family company, Sweet Unity Farms. In addition to being a coffee farm, Sweet Unity is also the brand of a Tanzanian Arabica Coffee marketed in the U.S.
The keynote by David Robinson is just one of the many highlights at SCAA’s 19th Annual Conference & Exhibition. As the industry’s premier coffee event, the conference features over 200 hours of education on topics such as: growing and processing; roasting; brewing and serving; quality and standards; sustainability; industry trends; coffee cupping; business best practices; espresso basics; and more. International attendees--- including coffee producers, exporters and importers, roasters, retailers, manufacturers and baristas---will discover more than 700 exhibit booths featuring everything relating to coffee.
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