Cup of excellence and the evolution of the brazilian specialty coffee market: a historical perspective

Abstract

Over its more than 20 years of existence, the Cup of Excellence program has contributed in several ways to the expansion of the Brazilian and global specialty coffee market. Therefore, the aim of this research is to demonstrate, from a historical perspective, the role of the COE in the development of the Brazilian specialty coffee market. To this end, a timeline was drawn up with the main events in the Brazilian specialty coffee market from the late 1980s to the present time. Documentary and bibliographical research was used. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted. Based on the results, it is evident that the technical legacy left by the COE changed the specialty coffee market not only in Brazil but throughout the world. The results also show that the forms, protocols and rules that regulated the competition’s editions had an impact on the entire market, including production processes and consumption trends.