The link attached is the code of conduct for the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). The SCA is a membered group of coffee producers, retailers and anyone in between. Their goal is to spread knowledge and raise the standards of every element of the coffee value chain by using a collaborative and progressive approach among its members.
When reading through the provided code of conduct, we did in fact find what we expected for the organizations’ practices and policies. The code of conduct takes a mixture of an integrity-based and compliance-based approach as it matches with the organizations other stated goals, vision and mission statement. It also highlights that members must share and take part in their core values, including: relevant member value, sustainable coffee industry, community of communities, best people, ethical operation and respect for the individual (Specialty Coffee Association, 2019). Not only do they expect their members to act according to their specific expectations, but they also expect members to follow the law, and urge members to report any incidents if they should occur. Failure for a member to follow this code of conduct and uphold the organization's reputation will result in them losing their membership and lose the ability to participate in the organization in the future.
As the coffee industry has matured there has been a movement towards sustainable growth, fair trade practices, and the elimination of child labor and poor working conditions. Being that the majority of coffee production is done in Brazil and other developing countries, many producers have needed to utilize unethical production strategies to turn a profit. SCA provides coffee producers with the education and resources to better produce their product and bind their mission with the code of conduct that makes the previous methods unacceptable. Members can raise productivity and practice sustainable growth that will eventually translate into raised income, economic growth, and making previous unethical practices obsolete. By following this code of conduct members are simultaneously acting through Kantian ethics. By taking care of the environment that is used to grow the coffee and the employees who work to produce it, members display respect for humans and the Earth. This code of conduct is an example of how the coffee industry is evolving to a new ethical supply chain as the coffee moves from the ground to your cup.
Resources
Specialty Coffee Association. (2019). Code of Conduct. Retrieved November 27, 2019 from https://sca.coffee/code-of-conduct
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