ASEAN Coffee Federation launches coffee protocol to redefine coffee appreciation

The ASEAN Coffee Institute (ACI), under the leadership of the ASEAN Coffee Federation (ACF), has introduced the ACF Coffee Appreciation Protocol (ACAP), a new regional quality framework. ACAP brings together multiple stages of the coffee value chain – production, processing, roasting, brewing and evaluation – into a single set of assessment and training modules intended for use across international markets.

“Southeast Asia has long been a coffee powerhouse. With ACI and ACAP, we are now taking ownership of how our coffee is valued and understood on the global stage,” said Mr Victor Mah, president of the ASEAN Coffee Federation. “This is a proud milestone in our journey to define coffee excellence through an ASEAN lens – and share it with the world.”

ACAP introduces six modules, following coffee’s full journey:

1.  Technical Appreciation  (ACAP-TA): Green coffee quality from farm to roastery
2.  Descriptive Appreciation (ACAP-DA)
3.  Roasting Appreciation (ACAP-RA): Understanding and creating flavour at the consumer backend
4.  Brewing Appreciation (ACAP-BA)
5.  Perceptive Appreciation (ACAP-PA): Presenting flavour and understanding market receptivity at the consumer end
6.  Skills Appreciation (ACAP-SA): Coffee skills integration for training and competition

Each module can be applied in settings ranging from professional coffee laboratories to consumer contexts, providing a structured flavour profile, descriptive assessment and corresponding score.

“ACAP brings clarity and confidence to coffee professionals at every level – from farmers to baristas,” said Mr Justin Metcalf, chief education officer of ACI. “It equips them with the structure and shared language to celebrate ASEAN coffee around the world.”

To implement ACAP, the ACI is drawing on current scientific research and enlarging its training platform. The goal is to offer a targeted set of courses that equip coffee professionals with integrated, end‑to‑end skills.:

• A new farm-to-cup integrated ACF Coffee Appreciation Course (formerly called the “A Grader”)
• Farm Hand, Roasting and Café Management courses
• ASEAN Coffee Flavour Sphere – a flavour map using fruits, spices and ingredients familiar across Asia
• Innovative tools like the Scentible Sensory Kit which actualises the Flavour Sphere, and Cpin app, which digitalises ACAP modules and tracks coffee opinions

The first training session of ACAP shall be held in Singapore from 16 to 18 July 2025 in-conjunction with SIGEP Asia 2025 where more than 10 ACF Coffee Appreciator Trainers shall be certified.

“ACAP is a living system – practical, communal, inclusive and continuously refreshing,” said Mr Dave Lim, technical director of ACI. “We are embracing the voices of ground practitioners, and we invite the world to join us.”