What is SCA?
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is the world’s largest coffee trade organization, bringing together coffee professionals across the entire supply chain from farmers and exporters to roasters, baristas, and café owners. It sets the global standards for what qualifies as “specialty coffee,” including grading systems for green coffee, brewing ratios, extraction parameters, and sensory evaluation. Essentially, if there’s a benchmark in the coffee world, the SCA probably wrote it.
On the education side, the SCA runs one of the most recognized coffee training systems globally through a modular certification program covering areas like Barista Skills, Brewing, Roasting, Green Coffee, and Sensory Skills. Each module has Foundation, Intermediate, and Professional levels, making it accessible for beginners and seasoned pros alike. For coffee businesses like Buono Coffee Academy, being SCA certified means the training they deliver meets internationally recognized standards, which adds serious credibility for students and employers both locally and abroad.
Buono Coffee Academy 