SCA Publishes 2025 Re:co Spotlight Outcomes, Announces 2026 Focus on Roast Color

Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has published the outcomes report from its 2025 Re:co Spotlight project, an industry forum focused on clarifying technical terminology and building consensus around ‘green coffee identity.’ Following that publication, organizers have announced that the 2026 Re:co Spotlight will focus on roast color: “This year’s Re:co Spotlight puts Roast Color center stage.”

Re:co Spotlight began as a reimagined, single-topic convening in 2025. The Re:co Spotlight page on the SCA site frames the program this way: “From the start, Re:co was always about sharing insights shaping the future of specialty coffee. In 2025, we launched Re:co Spotlight, a reimagined experience that puts those insights to work.” The page emphasizes the format, “During this collaborative event, one pertinent topic takes center stage as a diverse mix of subject matter experts and industry leaders come together in pursuit of leveraging those insights to shape future initiatives at the Specialty Coffee Association.”

Organizers describe the 2026 format as a focused, hands-on working group. The Re:co materials headline “2026 SPOTLIGHT” and “# Shining the Spotlight on Roast Color,” and state that “The small group of experts and attendees will shape the future of coffee through meaningful, hands-on engagement.” The page repeats the initiative’s priority: “This year, we’re turning the spotlight to roast color.”

SCA paired the outcomes publication with editorial coverage in its magazine. The SCA site lists “Unpacking the Debate Around Coffee Identity: Insights from Re:co Spotlight, 2025 | 25, Issue 24” under the “Shifting Identities | 25, Issue 24” feature and the site navigation shows “Latest: Issue 24.” The magazine metadata notes that “Each issue of 25 is made possible with the generous support of specialty coffee businesses who support the activities of the Specialty Coffee Association through its underwriting and sponsorship programs. Learn more about our underwriters here. Looking for the print edition? SCA members can opt-in to their complimentary subscription in the new SCA portal.”

Related SCA editorial items provide context on identity and post-harvest practice. The site reproduces Spanish-language reporting such as SOPHIA JIYUAN ZHANG y FLORAC DE BRUYN sharing four years of joint research on post-harvest processing and quality, and a piece noting that “VICENTE PARTIDA se sentó a charlar con VERA ESPINDOLA RAFAEL, economista de desarrollo y miembro del Consejo de la SCA” about preliminary research challenging export-focused cultivation strategies.

The materials supplied to reporters leave key specifics unresolved. The original outcomes-report text ends mid-sentence and does not list authors, participant names, exact findings, publication date, venue details, or the roster for the 2026 small-group sessions. Given those gaps, the public record so far is clear on scope and intent: SCA published a 2025 outcomes report aimed at “clarifying technical terminology and building consensus around ‘green coffee identity,’” and the association has directed the 2026 Re:co Spotlight to roast color, where a small, hands-on cohort will work to “shape the future of coffee through meaningful, hands-on engagement.”