Pilot Cup of Excellence programme to run in Ecuador in 2020
ACE, in partnership with Asociación de Cafés Especiales del Ecuador (ACEDE), has launched a pilot Cup of Excellence programme in 2020 with Ecuador.
ACEDE and ACE have been in ongoing discussions and plans are for an October 2020 pilot with an international jury and live, open outcry auction at the conclusion of the cupping competition.
Ecuador has long been a country the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) has hoped to expand into to add to its continued work in South America.
Wilson Gonzalez Ramos, executive director of ACEDE, said: “We are excited to bring the first ever COE to Ecuador. We are very happy that we’ve been able to finalise all the details of this project we’ve been working together for two years, especially to include Ecuador into the pilot programme. We’re very excited and very keen on putting Ecuador on the world map and bring our best coffees to the most demanding boutiques around the world. We are confident we will ratify Ecuador as an origin of some of the finest coffees in the world”.
ACE executive director, Darrin Daniel, said: “We continue to strive towards expansion in countries where we feel can establish our rigorous standards and global auction reach. Globally, roasters and coffee consumers anticipate and expect us to continue discovering coffee producers in the specialty coffee supply chain.”
Plans are underway for a formal signing and a communication plan for producers. ACEDE has indicated the first competition will be held in the city of Guayaquil. Plans are for the Cup of Excellence to run a full programme with its internet auction platform for 2021.
