Your cart is empty
Browse OfferingsLicensed & Affiliated
Ethio Coffee Import and Export PLC is a family-owned Ethiopian coffee exporter shipping green coffee beans to roasters, importers, and distributors worldwide.
© 2026 Ethio Coffee Import and Export PLC. All rights reserved.
made bynusu
The SCA Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) is the most significant change to specialty coffee quality evaluation in over two decades. For green coffee buyers who have built sourcing decisions around the 100-point cupping score, the shift is substantial: the CVA replaces a single number with a multi-dimensional quality profile that captures what a coffee tastes like, how desirable those attributes are, and what non-sensory factors contribute to its value.
Officially launched in phases since 2023, and with updated forms released in seven languages in October 2025, the CVA is now the SCA's primary framework for specialty coffee quality assessment. This guide breaks down each component, explains how the CVA affects green coffee contracts and Ethiopian export grading, and covers what importers and roasters need to do to adopt it.
The Coffee Value Assessment is the Specialty Coffee Association's replacement for the traditional 100-point cupping form. Developed through collaboration with scientists, researchers, and coffee professionals worldwide, the CVA produces a detailed, multi-dimensional quality profile rather than a single aggregate score.
The SCA Cupping Form, introduced in the early 2000s, standardized quality assessment across the industry. Over two decades, however, its limitations became clear. A score of 87.5 tells you a coffee is "very good," but it does not tell you why, what specific flavors define it, or whether it suits your roasting style and market. Reducing ten sensory attributes to one number obscures the qualities that make individual coffees distinctive.
The CVA addresses these gaps by separating assessment into four complementary components. Each can be used independently or together, giving the trade flexible, high-resolution quality data. The SCA released revised protocols in June 2024 after extensive input from its Early Adopter program, and published updated CVA forms in October 2025 in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese.
The CVA system is built on four distinct yet interconnected assessment types. Each serves a specific purpose in the evaluation workflow:
Purpose: Standardize how coffee samples are prepared for evaluation, ensuring consistency and repeatability.
CVA 102 establishes exact parameters for roasting, grinding, water temperature, brew ratio, and timing. When everyone prepares samples the same way, results become comparable across labs, roasteries, and countries. This protocol is the foundation that makes all other CVA assessments reliable. For a hands-on walkthrough of sample preparation, see our guide to cupping Ethiopian coffee samples.
Purpose: Objectively describe what sensory characteristics are present in the coffee, without judgment of quality.
Trained tasters identify and quantify specific flavors, aromas, textures, and aftertastes using the World Coffee Research Sensory Lexicon, a scientifically validated vocabulary of 110+ attributes. Instead of writing "good citrus," evaluators record the type (lemon, bergamot, grapefruit) and intensity on a calibrated scale. The Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) method and intensity scaling produce a detailed flavor map. For the compound science behind these sensory attributes, see our Coffee Science: Analysis & Evaluation guide.
Ethiopian Origin Example:
A washed Yirgacheffe lot might produce a descriptive profile reading: "jasmine (high intensity), bergamot (medium), lemon acidity (high), light body, silky mouthfeel, lingering floral aftertaste." Under the traditional system, this coffee and a chocolatey Brazilian natural might both score 88, despite offering fundamentally different cup experiences.
Purpose: Evaluate how much you like or value specific sensory attributes for your intended use.
After describing what is in the cup, affective assessment asks: "Do I find this acidity pleasant? Is this body desirable for my blend? Does this flavor profile match what my customers expect?" The SCA Affective Score Calculator converts these ratings into a familiar numeric reference for buyers who still need a shorthand during the transition.
Context-Dependent Scoring:
A Nordic roaster might prize the bright, tea-like acidity of a Guji natural at 2100 masl. An Italian espresso blender might find the same acidity too sharp for their market. The CVA records both perspectives as valid. The descriptive profile stays objective; the affective scores reflect each buyer's context.
Purpose: Document non-sensory factors that influence a coffee's value: origin story, sustainability, traceability, and certifications.
This component recognizes that coffee value extends beyond the cup. It captures information about sourcing relationships, processing innovations, certifications (organic, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance), carbon footprint, and social impact. Originally released in beta in 2024, CVA 105 was formalized as a numbered standard in the October 2025 forms update.
Examples of Extrinsic Value:
The SCA is transitioning from the legacy 100-point system to the CVA framework. During this transition period, many professionals use both. Here is how they compare:
| Aspect | Traditional Cupping (100-pt) | Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Output | Single aggregate score | Multi-dimensional quality profile |
| Best Use Case | Quick quality screening, pass/fail decisions | Detailed lot differentiation, storytelling, premium sourcing |
| Time Required | 15-20 minutes per session | 30-60 minutes for a complete assessment |
| Training Level | Q Grader certification | CVA for Cuppers course (SCA education platform) |
| Flavor Language | Free-form tasting notes | WCR Sensory Lexicon (110+ standardized descriptors) |
| Non-Sensory Factors | Not included | Extrinsic assessment (CVA 105) for sustainability, origin story |
| Industry Status | Legacy standard (early 2000s) | SCA's current primary framework (forms updated Oct 2025) |
Many coffee professionals are adopting a hybrid approach: using traditional cupping for initial screening and lot selection, then applying CVA for premium lots that require detailed documentation. The SCA Affective Score Calculator bridges the gap by generating a familiar numeric score from CVA affective data.
Ethiopia produces some of the world's most flavor-diverse coffees, from the jasmine and bergamot notes of Yirgacheffe to the blueberry-forward naturals of Guji and the wine-like complexity of Harar. International competitions like the AFCA Taste of Harvest celebrate these distinctive profiles, and the CVA system is particularly well-suited to capturing this diversity.
If you source specialty green coffee, here is what changes under the CVA framework:
The practical shift for buyers unfolds in these steps:
The Coffee Value Assessment has been in development since the early 2020s, with a phased rollout:
As of March 2026, the CVA is in active use globally and has been the SCA's primary quality assessment framework since the June 2024 protocol revision. The system continues to be refined based on real-world feedback from roasters, importers, producers, and Q Graders. Two digital platforms now support CVA evaluations, making it easier for companies to record, share, and compare assessments across the supply chain.
For exporters, importers, roasters, and quality professionals, here is how to engage with the Coffee Value Assessment:
The CVA is the SCA's current framework for evaluating specialty coffee quality. It replaces the legacy 100-point cupping score with four integrated assessments: Sample Preparation (CVA 102), Descriptive (CVA 103), Affective (CVA 104), and Extrinsic (CVA 105). Together, they produce a multi-dimensional quality profile rather than a single number.
Yes. The SCA is transitioning from the legacy 100-point scoring system to the CVA framework. Many buyers and exporters continue using traditional scores alongside CVA evaluations during the transition period. The SCA Affective Score Calculator provides a numeric bridge between the two systems.
The CVA enables Ethiopian coffees to be evaluated on detailed descriptive qualities (floral, citrus, fruit-forward profiles) rather than reduced to a single number. Ethiopia's ECX grading system (G1-G5) remains in use domestically, but international transactions increasingly include CVA data alongside traditional grades.
The SCA offers a two-day "CVA for Cuppers" course through its network of Authorized Trainers. The program covers all four assessment components, calibration exercises, and practical application for trading and quality control. Check the SCA events page for upcoming sessions.
The four components are: CVA 102 (Sample Preparation Protocol), CVA 103 (Descriptive Assessment), CVA 104 (Affective Assessment), and CVA 105 (Extrinsic Assessment). Each can be used independently. Descriptive and affective assessments are most commonly applied to green coffee evaluation.
At Ethio Coffee Import and Export PLC, we provide detailed quality data on all our lots, including descriptive cupping profiles and traceability documentation. With three decades of heritage sourcing relationships across Ethiopia's top growing regions, we connect importers and roasters with the coffees that match their exact specifications.
About This Insight: Written by Ethio Coffee Import and Export PLC. This article is based on official SCA documentation, protocols, and announcements current as of March 2026. The Coffee Value Assessment continues to evolve; contact us for the latest on how CVA data is applied in our quality evaluations.
All Insights · Our Export Services · About Ethio Coffee · Contact