Neumann Kaffee Gruppe, the Hamburg, Germany-based coffee company whose US branch includes brands like Atlas Coffee Importers, InterAmerican Coffee, and Rothfos Corporation, has announced a new initiative to advance equity in the world of green coffee buying. Working in collaboration with the Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity, NKG has created the Partnership to Advance Coffee Equity (PACE), “a paid QC-training program to promote racial equity in the U.S. coffee industry.”
Per the press release announcing the initiative, PACE is a one-year training program offered to Black individuals in America whereby the three US green coffee brands in NKG’s portfolio will “share their deep knowledge of the green-coffee industry, with the intention of growing diversity internally and in the U.S. coffee industry.” Developed with the help of the Coffee Quality Institute, the PACE curriculum will include training on how to “manage a QC lab, cup and grade many kinds of coffee, receive and share samples, maintain an inventory system, analyze green coffee and become familiar with annual global coffee offerings.”
“Access has always been a way to advance racism or to thwart it,” said Coffee Quality Institute Chief Executive Officer Tina Yerkes, PhD. “Ensuring access is a significant new focus for us. CQI offers education and certification that is recognized globally, and we are happy to provide a pathway to improve representation in the coffee industry.”
For each annual cycle, three persons will be selected to the PACE program, which will include a salary, healthcare, and benefits. The in-person training is expected to begin in January 2022 at one of the NKG’s four US labs: in Hoboken, Houston, San Diego, and Seattle, “should global health conditions allow it.” Light relocation packages are available, per the website.
Applications for PACE open Thursday, June 24th. For those interested in applying, a webinar further explaining the program featuring NKG CEO David M. Neumann and CCRE founder Phyllis Johnson—moderated by Chocolate Barista creator Michelle Johnson—will be taking place Thursday, June 17th at 2:00 pm ET. Registration for the webinar can be found at the CCRE official website.
For more information, visit the Partnership to Advance Coffee Equity’s official website.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
