ACE Suspends First Indonesia Cup of Excellence, Cites Funding Hurdles

Photo courtesy of ACE.

The Alliance for Coffee Excellence has announced that the first Cup of Excellence auction and competition planned for Indonesia has been temporarily suspended due to funding and logistics hurdles.

Along with in-country partner the Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia (SCAI), the group had successfully held a pilot program with plans to launch a full Cup of Excellence program later this year, designed to celebrate some of the country’s best coffees while connecting farmers to high-quality-seeking buyers.

“ACE has made the decision to temporarily postpone the on boarding of the Cup of Excellence into Indonesia until it can be determined that SCAI can properly fund and manage the program as it begins its process into Indonesia,” the Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit said in announcement of the postponement yesterday. “We are very sorry for the delay, but it is critical that all of these requirements are in place before we can sanction any competition under the Cup of Excellence brand and programming.”

For the calendar year 2019, ACE is coordinating Cup of Excellence competitions in 10 coffee-producing countries, with Nicaragua being postponed in 2019 due to political unrest. The group also this year introduced its first “private collection” auction, featuring coffees through one trading company in Yemen, and it plans to bring the full CoE program to coffee’s birthplace, Ethiopia, in 2020.

“It is our hope that within the next year we would be able to come back to the table with a timeline and plan,” ACE said regarding the plans for Indonesia. “Be patient while SCAI and ACE find the best possible solution to allow the program to move forward.”