SCA Sustainability Course: 11 March in Johannesburg with Erika Koss

Friday, 10 February, 2023

One of our favourite Coffee Magazine contributors and Creative Coffee Week speakers, Erika Koss, will be in Johannesburg in March, in partnership with Lani Snyman, to give South African Coffee Professionals the opportunity to be part of a more sustainable coffee industry.


SCA Coffee Sustainability Program, Foundation Course INTENSIVE with AST Erika Koss, A World in Your Cup Consulting ~ March 2023 Hosted by Lani Snyman from Coffee Skills Service.

Foundation Course Description & Course Aims

Sustainability must be embraced by all actors in the value chain if the specialty coffee industry is to survive and thrive. This course is designed to offer baseline knowledge of what the term sustainability means and the challenges of acting sustainably across the coffee value chain. It is focused on developing a common vocabulary and understanding of sustainability, with a focus on economics, the environment, social issues, and the connections between them. At the Foundation Level, students will be exposed to sustainability terminology, a brief history of sustainability in coffee, and key sustainability challenges across the value chain. They will begin to understand the trade-offs and complexities of different approaches and current practices, and access some of the tools that exist to address a variety of sustainability challenges. The course is designed for people at all points in the value chain. Participants will leave the course understanding the complex, but not impossible, challenges related to sustainability issues, and will begin to recognize some ways to best implement solutions. After Foundation, students are prepared for the Intermediate Level, where they will learn to take preliminary action and make informed decisions on behalf of themselves, their companies, and/or their organizations.

By successfully completing the Foundation Level, students will be able to:
• Articulate broad sustainability challenges at different points in the value chain;
• Discuss possibilities for sustainability solutions and best practices at various levels of the coffee value chain;
• Explain trade-offs of different sustainability projects and practices.

Your AST, Erika Koss, is the founder of A World in Your Cup Consulting, a Nairobi-based education and consulting business focused on sustainability, gender equity, and decolonialization of the beverage crops. Erika is a Research Associate at the University of Nairobi in Kenya; a PhD candidate in the International Development Studies program at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; and an Authorized SCA Trainer. From 2018- 19, Erika was a member of the Creator’s Group who wrote the Sustainability Coffee Skills curriculum for the Specialty Coffee Association. The course launched at the 2019 Specialty Coffee Expo in Boston, USA, and since then, Erika has taught hundreds of coffee professionals around the world. Erika’s coffee career began in 1996 as a barista in San Diego, California. Now as a writer, teacher, and researcher who lives in Nairobi, Kenya, Erika’s work focuses on gender equity, sustainability, climate resilience, (de)colonialism, and global governance of the global coffee value chain. She lives in Nairobi with her younger son.

SCA SUSTAINABILITY FOUNDATION Course with AST Erika Koss

11 and 25 March 2023 (2-day course). In-person in Pretoria, South Africa & online. Hosted by Lani Snyman from Coffee Skills Service

Tuesday 7 March 2023

Registrations Confirmed, Payments Received, Homework Sent to Learners. Zoom link for Session One shall be sent after full payment is received.

Thursday 9 March 2023: Homework #1 due via email to AST Erika Koss.

Saturday 11 March 2023 12-17:30 South African time
In-person, (includes 30 minute break), Includes the below: 

Session One: Defining Sustainability – in-person: What is sustainability & brief history of sustainable development.

Session Two: Political Considerations & Stakeholders in Coffee Political considerations of coffee sustainability and the complexity of global stakeholders in the coffee industry.

Session Three: Economic Sustainability
Overview of challenges and solutions in economic sustainability in coffee, including global price decision-making and economic inequality.

Thursday 23 March 2023: Homework #2 due via email to AST Erika Koss.

Saturday 25 March 2023 Live Online: 12pm  – 15:30
South African time (includes 15 minute break) Includes the below:

Session Four: Environmental Sustainability – live online - Overview of challenges and solutions in environmental sustainability, including climate change and coffee varietals.

Session Five: Social Sustainability - Overview of challenges and solutions in social sustainability, including Intersectionality, certifications, and ethical marketing.

Final Session: Review of Key Takeaways & Explanation of Exam.

Saturday 26 March 2022: Final Homework #3 due via email to AST Erika Koss.

Exam Online:

After completion of live online and homework assignments, students will be sent a link to take an online exam independently, which must be completed within 21 days. To pass, students must answer 70% of the questions correctly and qualify to advance to the Intermediate Level. Questions are a mix of multiple choice and true/false; refer to SCA exam policies.


The course consists of 8 hours of training with LIVE in-person AND online learning. There is also an option to take the course without the SCA certificate/exam at a lower fee.
Cost of Course: R6000 includes SCA fees

Questions about Pricing or Registration?
Contact Lani: Lani@CoffeeSkillsService.co.za
Contact Erika: AWorldinYourCup@gmail.com * IG: @AWorldinYourCup

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