Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/1034837
16 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 5, 2018 (October / November) Coffee Report: Dan Shryock Scholars Selected by SCA The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) announced its five participants in its new two-year Leadership Equity and Diversity (LEAD) Scholarship Program. The 2018-2020 LEAD Scholars are Stephanie Alcala, Lisette Barbera, Taya Brown, Karla Ly Quinones, and Smayah Uwajeneza. The LEAD program, introduced in April during SCA's Re:co Symposium, provides professional development resources to people in marginalized and under-represented communities. The goal is to increase diversity in leadership throughout the world's coffee industry. "As a global nonprofit organization, SCA recognizes that access to member- ship, coffee events, and education differ for individuals depending on their identity, background, and access to financial resources," the organization said in making its announcement. "The coffee industry has a lot of work to do to diversify its leadership at every point in the value chain and overcoming these obstacles will require proactive efforts and dedicated resources. LEAD is designed to be a small but important step towards progress in this area." The five scholars were selected from among 60 international applicants. Stephanie Alcala is a graduate student at the University of Michigan. Taya Brown is a PhD student and program director for the Center for Coffee Research and Education in Guatemala. Lisette Barbera is assistant manager at Cartel Coffee Lab in Phoenix, Ariz. Karla Ly Quinones owns the Café Comunión coffee shop in Puerto Rico. Smayah Uwajeneza is senior barista with Question Coffee in Rwanda. Learn more at www.sca.coffee/ LEAD. CANADA Kraft Buys Ethical Bean Kraft Heinz Canada acquired Vancou- ver, British Colombia-based Ethical Bean Coffee in September. Lloyd Bernhardt, who co-founded the roasting company with Kim Schachte in 2003, said that "with Kraft Heinz's expertise and scale, we're confident that Ethical Bean Coffee will continue to deliver on its promise of ethical sourcing." "We are proud of what Ethical Bean has been able to accomplish over the past 15 years, building a brand with a solid reputation across North America for great tasting coffee, that is sustain- ably sourced," said Bernhardt in a prepared statement. Kraft Heinz Canada president Carlos Piani said that "we believe quality coffee starts at the source, which involves responsible sourcing and supporting the hard-working dedicated farmers at origin. The acquisition of Ethical Bean Coffee reinforces our pledge to the sustainable health of our people, our planet and our Company." A price was not disclosed. CHINA Starbucks, Alibaba Partner Retail coffee leader Starbucks and digital titan Alibaba are working together to create a new retail partnership in China. New Retail strategies integrate conventional and e-commerce retail efforts with the goal of increasing sales while providing convenience for the consumer. The project, announced in early August, is designed to create a Starbucks experience for coffee drinkers in China. The two companies will use Alibaba's digital platforms to provide services for customers. Starbucks delivery kitchens, for example, would provide order delivery fulfillment and integrate Alibaba platforms to create a personalized virtual Starbucks store for each customer. The delivery kitchen begins work in September. "Thanks to the elevated customer experience delivered by our more than 45,000 partners, Starbucks is growing and innovating faster in China than anywhere else in the world," said Kevin Johnson, Starbucks president and c.e.o. "Our transformational partnership with Alibaba will reshape modern retail and represents a significant milestone in our efforts to exceed the expectations of Chinese consumers." Daniel Zhang, Alibaba Group c.e.o., said, "Starbucks is more than a destina- tion for premium coffee and we share the same vision to pioneer a new coffee culture and lifestyle through innovation and technology. Alibaba is thrilled to expand our existing partnership with Starbucks by leveraging our cutting-edge new retail infrastructure and digital power to enable an unprecedented experience for consumers. This partner- ship is again a testament to the success of our new retail strategy." Tim Hortons Targets China Tim Hortons, the iconic Canadian coffee and doughnut chain, intends to open 1,500 coffee shops in China during the next 10 years. "China's population and vibrant economy represent an excellent growth opportunity for Tim Hortons in the coming years," said company president Alex Macedo. "We have already seen Canada's Chinese community embrace Tim Hortons and we now have the opportu- nity to bring the best of our Canadian brand to China," his statement said. Tim Hortons now operates in 4,700 locations worldwide, primarily in Canada and the United States. COLOMBIA Government Assists Growers The Colombian government is setting aside $34 million to help coffee farmers affected by lower prices on the interna- tional market. The move is endorsed by the country's coffee growers federation. Colombia is the world's largest producer of washed arabica. In China, Alibaba helps deliver orders faster to Starbucks customers Photo Credit: Starbucks photo