Cup of Excellence® Winners Reap Huge Rewards

MISSOULA, Mont., Feb. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Spectacular overall results for the 2010 Cup of Excellence auctions indicate strong international demand continues for competition-winning coffees.  "Even in uncertain economic times, this is a clear sign that farmer-identified, exceptional coffees with unique flavor profiles are very much appreciated by coffee connoisseurs," explained Susie Spindler, Executive Director of The Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc.  The average per pound price for the combined auctions was a record $8.67/lb for green coffee still at origin - up almost $2.00 from 2009.  The first place coffee from each of the auctions ranged from $22.05/lb for the Honduras winner to $40.09/lb for the top lot from Colombia.  Since the program ensures that the majority of the auction proceeds go directly to the winning farmer, those who were facing tough times have described these prices as miraculous.  Buyers, on the other hand, have found that purchasing these rare coffees have given them a competitive edge in their marketplaces.

About forty-six percent of the winning bidders were Japanese specialty coffee companies where demand is still on fire.  Europeans accounted for twenty percent and North American roasters for about fifteen.  The largest increase by far came from Australian and South Korean roasters who have doubled their purchases of Cup of Excellence coffees since 2009 - marking phenomenal growth in their markets' specialty coffee demand.

Since 1999, the Cup of Excellence has been hosted in Brazil, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Colombia and Rwanda with future expansion planned.  Each competition is open to all farmers in a producing country with no fee attached for the first entry.  Each country's 3-week competition process utilized Probat Probatino roasters and the skill of international cuppers to evaluate and award the top coffees from each harvest.  

The Cup of Excellence program is managed by the non-profit Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc, which enjoys a membership of global coffee companies as well as passionate coffee connoisseurs who can now register as Solo Supporters and receive a small share of this year's award-winning coffee.

The auction and the website are executed in partnership with CommoditiesOne, a leading software development firm based in Sydney, Australia.  For more information about the Cup of Excellence program or to become a member log on to www.cupofexcellence.org

SOURCE Alliance for Coffee Excellence