The Specialty Coffee Association stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian coffee community whose homeland has been under attack for the past few days by Russia. We strongly condemn the Russian regime’s invasion of Ukraine and the violence and displacement being inflicted.
The SCA Board of Directors held an extraordinary meeting yesterday to find ways to support members of the Ukrainian coffee community. We have also spoken directly with the volunteer leadership of the SCA Ukraine Chapter to express our solidarity and commitment to helping them endure this senseless war.
The SCA will donate 100% of the revenue from ticket sales for World of Coffee Warsaw toward supporting relief efforts for Ukrainian coffee businesses and coffee professionals. We have also made the difficult decision to suspend Russia’s participation in the World Coffee Championships.
The European coffee community has quickly pulled together with innovative ways to support the Ukrainian coffee community. The Russian coffee community has called for peace and against division and has expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian coffee community. We will be working with local SCA Chapters and other partners to share resources on our Instagram page for displaced Ukrainian coffee people and for those who want to support from around the world.
—Yannis Apostolopoulos, CEO of the Specialty Coffee Association
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Frequently Asked Questions on the World Coffee Championships:
Q: Who will this suspension affect?
A: We have suspended Russian participation in the 2022 World Coffee Championships, which means that Russian competitors will not be permitted to attend the competitions in Warsaw and Melbourne.
Q: Are Russian judges also suspended?
A: Russian judges will not be suspended—the SCA has chosen to not recognize the country of Russia in a celebratory manner on a public stage, but not to penalize their people.
Q: What happens to the SCA Russia Chapter?
A: We have also suspended the SCA Russia Chapter’s competition body license, meaning that SCA/WCE will not officially sanction future competitions in Russia, and judges and WCE Reps cannot support those competitions.
Q: What options are there for Russian competitors?
A: Russian competitors can apply for Deferred Candidacy, which will allow them to participate in a future event if/when the suspension is lifted.
Where Support Can Be Found:
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SCA Poland Chapter is offering support with transportation and housing to displaced Ukrainians; their contact details can be found here.
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SCA Poland, in coordination with SCA Czech Republic, are calling for businesses in hospitality to accept displaced Ukrainians into employment, if they are able. More information and sign up form can be found here.
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Cloud Picker has launched a raffle to support Ukrainian coffee people.
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The Art of Coffee have published a list of urgently needed medical supplies and all of their Dublin cafés are currently acting as drop-off points.
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Global Calibration is holding a global coffee training event, all proceeds of which will be donated to the SCA Ukraine Chapter or via a grassroots Ukrainian organization of their choosing for distribution locally.
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SCA Czech Republic has shared ways the coffee community can help and show their support.
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The Coffee Vine is sharing supportive initiatives and organizations that they fully support and recommend.
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McCabes Coffee is donating all profits from online store sales next Monday, March 7 to the Irish Red Cross Ukraine appeal.
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Bell Lane Coffee is donating all sales of their Colombia Los Alpes to UNICEF.
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Hard Beans Coffee Roasters have placed a call for food and supplies donations. Their roastery in Opole, Poland is serving as a collection space.
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Cloud Picker is offering to pay for two plane tickets to Dublin and employment in their café or roastery.
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Kawiarnia Powidoki in Poland is organizing several fundraisers for Ukraine.
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Java Coffee Roasters is donating 5% of their online coffee sales to the Polish Humanitarian Action to help Ukraine.
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Caffeine Magazine is selling Department of Brewology posters and donating all the proceeds to the Disaster Emergency Committee.
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Coffeedesk is supporting humanitarian aid in Ukraine by donating 10% of the sale of all coffees from Polish roasteries in their store.
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On March 5 Clever Coffee is donating all sales from their coffee shop to World Central Kitchen, serving meals to displaced Ukrainians.
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The SCA has pledged 100% of the revenue from ticket sales from World of Coffee Warsaw will go to support Ukrainian coffee businesses and professionals.
Supporting the Wider Crisis Efforts:
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Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defenсe of Ukraine. All proceeds received go directly to supporting the front-line defense of Ukraine. | Ukraine.ua
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Save the Children has been operating in Ukraine since 2014 and is currently providing life-saving assistance such as food, water, cash transfers, and safe places for children. | Save the Children
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The Ukrainian Red Cross is currently evacuating civilians and providing food and shelter in Ukraine. | Ukraine Red Cross
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People in Need provides humanitarian aid in critical regions around the world and is currently providing humanitarian aid in Lviv. | People in Need
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Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, works to unlock the potential of Ukraine and help the country stay on the path of fostering democracy and prosperity. Razom is currently supplying medical supplies to the conflict through donations to its emergency response. | Razom
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CARE works in over 100 countries to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice. CARE’s Ukraine Crisis Fund supports immediate aid and recovery, food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support, and cash assistance — prioritizing women and girls, families, and the elderly. | CARE
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Polish Humanitarian Action is providing humanitarian aid and support to people affected by conflict both internally displaced as well as refugees coming to Poland. | Polish Humanitarian Action
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The Polish Association for Legal Intervention supports migrants and refugees in Poland and is currently providing legal advice as well as important information regarding the crossing of the border to Ukrainians coming to Poland.| Polish Association for Legal Intervention
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The Polish Center for International Aid is supporting humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. They have launched a fundraiser, the funds of which support the activities of local humanitarian workers. | Polish Center for International Aid
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World Central Kitchen is serving thousands of fresh meals to Ukrainian families fleeing home as well as those who remain in the country. | World Central Kitchen
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The Disaster Emergency Committee is in Ukraine and in neighboring countries providing food, water, shelter, and medical assistance. | Disaster Emergency Committee