Voluntary scheme · Tier 2 · In force
Q Coffee (CQI) / SCA Cupping
Specialty-coffee quality verification: a licensed Q grade / SCA cupping score certifying the green coffee meets specialty thresholds.
At a glance
- Jurisdiction
- global
- Status
- In force
- Type
- Voluntary scheme
- Citation
- Coffee Quality Institute Q Grading; SCA Cupping Protocol
Who and what it covers
Sectors
Applies to
Requirements
What Q Coffee requires.
- Valid Q grade / cupping scoreMandatory
- A current CQI Q certificate or SCA cupping score meeting the specialty threshold.
How Commodity Plus helps
Capture the evidence as part of the trade, not after it.
The Commodity Plus compliance package tracks per-regime requirements, stores evidence in an auditable vault, and generates the statements buyers and regulators ask for — across every regime your trade touches.
Frequently asked
- What is Q Coffee?
- Specialty-coffee quality verification: a licensed Q grade / SCA cupping score certifying the green coffee meets specialty thresholds.
- What does Q Coffee require?
- Key requirements include: Valid Q grade / cupping score.
Related regimes
Rainforest Alliance / UTZ
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Fairtrade International (FLO-CERT)
Producer-focused fair-trade certification covering coffee, cocoa, tea, sugar, and bananas, audited by FLO-CERT.
EU Organic
EU organic certification issued by accredited control bodies for produce sold as organic in the EU market.
USDA National Organic Program
US Department of Agriculture organic certification for produce marketed as organic in the United States.
Japan Organic (JAS)
Japanese Agricultural Standard organic certification, required to label produce organic in Japan.
GLOBALG.A.P.
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Fairmined / Fairtrade Gold
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Starbucks C.A.F.E. Practices
Starbucks' proprietary ethical-sourcing programme for coffee — narrow ownership but very high purchase volume.
Smithsonian Bird Friendly
Niche shade-grown, organic coffee certification commanding a premium for biodiversity-friendly production.
Cocoa Life (Mondelēz)
Mondelēz's proprietary cocoa sustainability programme covering sourced cocoa volumes.
Cocoa Horizons (Barry Callebaut)
Barry Callebaut's proprietary cocoa sustainability and traceability programme.