Dubai – Ali Alzakary
From the vibrant coffee farms of Jamaica to the heart of Dubai’s specialty coffee revolution, Garfield Kerr has charted a remarkable path — one defined by vision, professionalism, and a profound respect for coffee as both craft and culture. As the founder of Mokha1450, the café that first introduced the boutique specialty coffee concept to Dubai, Kerr became a key force in transforming the UAE into a global destination for rare brews, refined brewing methods, and world-class coffee experiences.
Now, as President of the Specialty Coffee Association SCA, his journey reaches a new chapter. In this exclusive interview with QahwaWorld, Garfield Kerr opens up about his mission to elevate the role of farmers, the future of the Coffee Value Assessment protocol CVA, and the delicate balance between science, tradition, and storytelling in assigning value to every cup. He discusses the SCA’s evolving role in shaping fairer supply chains, navigating global challenges like climate change and deforestation regulations, and harnessing technology to build a more sustainable, equitable coffee industry — one where excellence is measured not only by quality, but by the fairness of its impact.
You became President of the SCA at a pivotal moment for the industry. What is your personal vision for this role?
I am personally driven by a need to work hard and a strong desire to succeed at whatever I attempt, with the full understanding that success is never guaranteed. During my presidency, I hope to achieve the stated goal of the organization to make coffee better, and to help with the SCA’s first ever pivot towards farmers at origin, the SCA pivot towards consumers, seeing the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) protocol being the sole language of the coffee industry for the evaluation of coffee and discovering value in coffee, in addition to the continued growth of the SCA as the standard bearer in the global coffee industry that leads through education, research, and its unique ability to bring industry participants along the entire value chain together via trade shows and other events.
The industry is undergoing rapid transformation. What challenges are you most focused on addressing?
There are significant geopolitical challenges, in addition to myriad of other challenges facing the coffee industry, chief among them right now are tariffs, exceptionally high prices facing the coffee market, continued strong demand outstripping future projected supply, global warming issues, and inflation, just to name a few. The SCA has facilitated research on most of these challenges with groundbreaking work, such as the Price Crisis Response Initiative, and we are continuously working to improve industry understanding and response to critical social, environmental, and economic issues through education, events, our work with NGOs and awards that provide incentives to tackle many of these issues.
Let’s talk about the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA). How will this reshape the way coffee is evaluated?
I am very much excited about the CVA, as I am driven by data and empirical hard evidence over an anecdotal or merely socially acceptable approaches to doing anything. However, social norms and personal preferences are also exceptionally important as they often define perception and values for discrete groups, geographic regions, to entire peoples. The CVA adds hard science to the evaluation of coffee by integrating the latest advances in sensory and coffee science, making coffee evaluation compatible with scientific research for the very first time. Most importantly, the CVA approach separates and assigns value to both the objective and subjective criteria of evaluating coffee, and also exponentially drives forward the SCA’s sustainability agenda, which emphasizes equitable value distribution throughout the supply chain.
How does the CVA align or conflict with existing protocols like those from CQI?
The CVA is a science-based approach with years of hard work and research behind it. The CVA also represents a great leap forward, and as such I think the global industry is best served by everyone adopting this new approach, as it unequivocally best serves everyone involved, and as such I think CQI will be a valuable partner and will eventually adopt the CVA. It is also very important that all leading organizations within the coffee industry are aligned in serving the community and speaks with one voice.
How has the community responded so far?
The feedback on the CVA has been overwhelmingly positive, with some renowned industry experts exclaiming that the advancement that the CVA represents is long overdue. Of course, there are those that will need more time to adopt, because it is not easy to give up a way of doing things that has become entrenched in your everyday life. I have also had passionate discussions, one just last week where a good friend and also well-known coffee professional said somewhat sarcastically that the CVA scores a coffee higher that is from a farmer that has some “story” or “peculiarity” that has become well known for whatever reason. Much to his surprise, I agreed with that assessment and noted that if the story of that fictitious farmer resonates with individuals and makes people more likely to buy and pay a higher price for that farmer’s coffee, then that value creation should be shared directly with that farmer and the CVA is designed to do just that.
Take the example of the Fix chocolate brand and Sarah Hamouda who created the famous Dubai Chocolate that has become an international sensation. Can you imagine a world wherein Ms. Hamouda, as the creator of that unique and exceptional dessert, is disconnected from the value created by the intense demand and would be the lowest compensated person along the value chain for her product? That is somewhat the current state of the coffee industry. Imagine that Ms. Hamouda would make the same much lower amount whether or not the chocolate becomes famous, and only retailers are allowed to profit from the upside of the product’s popularity — is this fair?
Let’s address perceptions of the SCA becoming more commercial. How do you respond to this, and how can the association stay grounded in its core mission?
I have heard some of these discussions and criticism, and I understand them to a degree because change seems scary for some, and when an organization grows, becomes more inclusive instead of exclusive, and even becomes more organized, it seems further away from its early years and how it once operated. You see this for example in music where a few people will instinctively turn away from obscure artists once they become a global sensation and will often say those artists have “sold out” even if the music remains true to the vision of that artist. I think there is a similar dynamic here. The SCA has grown and has definitely become more organized and more professional with each successive year. For example, this year’s board of directors is the most impressive board that has ever served, and is comprised of some of the industry’s brightest minds. This growth and increased professionalism are nothing to be feared or denigrated but should be lauded, as I know from personal experience, and fervently believe that most people that have interacted with the SCA’s staff, the executive team, and board members would agree. This is true because every single individual within the SCA gets up every day with only one mission in mind, and that is how do we make coffee better for all involved.
Looking ahead, what major trends do you foresee shaping the industry in 2025?
The current high Coffee prices may likely affect the industry in negative and positive ways that are very hard to predict. However, we may find big players trying to reduce cost and exposure by investing more aggressively in coffee alternatives, but I think that the love affair with coffee may prove far too strong to overcome with manufactured alternatives. The high price and current crisis could also usher in a new age of discovery for coffee farming and best agronomy practices to stave off diseases and increase yield.
We will likely see a continued shift towards cold drinks, ready-to-drink coffees, and also investments in how to produce quality specialty coffee in instant products — be it powdered or liquid concentrates. However, the most salient shift will be towards experiential activities related to the way brands present coffee. I often say that coffee is the simplest most complicated subject, and brands that can shake up the simplicity of our morning routine of grab-and-go coffee and allow customers to experience coffee on a deeper level without making it too complicated will likely lead the way.
What are your thoughts on the new European deforestation regulations and their impact on coffee producers?
I think the goals of the new European deforestation regulations are very good and very laudable, however the execution can be vastly improved. As it stands, the current regulations may produce winners and losers, with countries that have mostly smallholder farmers losing out. Even if they meet the EUDR requirements, the problem lies in proving that through the cumbersome documentation process expected by customs at EU destinations.
In addition to that, the penalty in the event that the lots are found non-compliant upon arrival at destination falls on import companies. As they do not have the direct involvement in the production nor export of these coffees, it makes it difficult to assume the risk for such importers. This may result in shifting away from smallholder-based producing countries… which is counterproductive.
As such, I believe a more thoughtful deep dive into the unintended impacts of the regulations in the various coffee-producing and importing countries should be reconsidered.
The SCA’s leadership has held many discussions on the topic and is leading through facilitation and making the voices and views of all involved very clear — for the mutual benefit of every stakeholder involved along the value chain.
Let’s talk about the Middle East. What’s your perspective on the specialty coffee scene in the UAE and GCC region?
It was once controversial to exclaim that the UAE is a leading market in the global Specialty Coffee arena, and that statement no longer is. You can get any Cup of Excellence coffee and rare coffees that most people will spend a lifetime without having the ability to try here in the UAE. Furthermore, it is common practice that coffee shops in the UAE and especially Dubai are specialized in offering all brewing methods, whether it is a Syphon, Cezve/Ibrik, V60, Chemex, etc., and that practice is not commonly available anywhere else in the world.
There are many opportunities in the UAE and GCC to continue to innovate and offer more experiential activations that continue to elevate coffee beyond a caffeine fix, and as for business opportunities, while the UAE is somewhat saturated, companies and brands that innovate will definitely stand out more and produce a race to the top. Also, there are many international brands that are locating in the UAE and then using the location here as a springboard into other Middle East and GCC countries where the markets are still growing and this proves there are still great business opportunities here in the region.
How can the SCA help support historical coffee origins like Yemen?
Currently because of the politics and the current situation in Yemen, it is very hard for the SCA to lend support directly and on the ground. However, with the new CVA protocols, countries like Yemen that have a long history of producing exceptional coffee will benefit in value discovery. The SCA will also be more focused on farmers at origin in the near term and as such when Yemen fully opens up again, Yemen stands to benefit immensely. Yemen also has expertise that could serve the entire coffee world as they have produced excellent coffees by way of ingenious agronomy and methods that require the least amount of water anywhere in the world. Yemeni farmers are the world’s foremost experts on best sustainability practices with respect to water preservation, a vital skill as global warming becomes more prevalent. The Yemeni coffee varieties are also quite drought resistant and have been studied for quite some time now, and those studies will have to produce best practices that will then be translated into action once a critical tipping point is reached and the current negative trends in our environment become even more pronounced. As such Yemen’s importance to the coffee world is not only historical — it will only become more important over time.
How will the SCA ensure farmers receive fair value and support?
The CVA is designed to do just that and one critical change to the SCA’s approach is that of ensuring there is a developmental portion of the CVA that will work at origin and make sure that farmers are an integral part of the CVA and use it as a practical tool in running their enterprise so as to understand the perception and language of importers and roasters so as to get the maximum return on their hard work in bringing coffee to the world.
What role do you see for innovation and technology in solving industry challenges?
Technology and innovation are very important and will be leveraged to solve most of the aforementioned problems currently facing the coffee industry. With the importance of data to understanding and making things better, especially with the use of Artificial Intelligence, the ability to collate and share data on best regions for farmers to sell coffees, the best technology-driven agronomy practices such as drone technology currently being used to assist farmers — instant analysis of soil quality and when and where to plant — the latest company and consumer-driven trends being available to everyone in real time, the sharing of knowledge and advances in coffee scientific research and the instantaneous identification of real-world applications, all of this becomes possible and the SCA stands ready to lead the way to leverage technology and innovate to improve the way things are done.
Any final thoughts or messages you’d like to share with our readers?
Imagine a world without coffee. Not for one day, a week or a few months, but no coffee forever. I don’t think anyone wants to live in this type of dystopian nightmare, and as such, it is incumbent on all of us from consumers to industry players to do our very best to make coffee equitable for all involved, and that has to start first and foremost with the farmer. The coffee industry can be very opaque for consumers, especially with respect to pricing, and most consumers are very much price sensitive and unwilling to pay a price for coffee over an individually perceived maximum price threshold. Consumers must be able to understand the hard work that farmers endure to bring coffee to them and be willing to pay a fair price for this work and craft.
I would like to challenge everyone to think about how we can change the current system with respect to the C coffee market as well as the specialty coffee market to start with the farmer and make sure that they are first in being compensated fairly and be made to feel valued and appreciated for doing the hard work, without which my first sentence becomes a reality. We should all think critically as to how we can change our current ways of doing business to ensure there is a fair and comfortable margin for everyone so that the market becomes exceptionally efficient and free of arbitrage so that everyone can make a living in this endeavor we love so dearly and that there are no stark realities of big winners and perpetual losers. After all, we all want to make coffee better.
