SCHEDULE
Auditorium, Hilton San Salvador
DAY 1
CONFERENCE - 9:00 AM - 9:25 AM
Thermodynamics of Flavor: Roasting Protocols for Infused & Co-Fermented Coffees
Otto Cabrera
As infused and co-fermented coffees gain attention, roasting becomes the decisive stage where attributes are revealed or lost. This presentation explores roasting as a sensory translator, shaping aroma stability, clarity, and balance. Drawing from lab and production experience, it examines energy input, development, Maillard reactions, and first crack control, offering practical guidance for consistency and commercial quality.
CONFERENCE - 9:35 AM - 10:00 AM
Soil Chromatography: A Practical Tool for Organic and Regenerative Transition
Tulio Lozano
Qualitative soil chromatography is introduced as an accessible diagnostic tool for producers transitioning to organic and regenerative systems. Through visual examples of soil, compost, and coffee chromatograms, the session demonstrates how to evaluate soil health, biological activity, and system integration as the first step in the preparation for an organic certification that supports traceability, transparency and buyer trust.
CONFERENCE - 10:10 AM - 10:35 AM
Understanding the Global Coffee Awards: Standards, Process, and Impact
Martin Suard
Led by the GCA’s Lead Sensory Judge, this session provides a clear overview of the Global Coffee Awards, its standards, evaluation process, and industry impact. It highlights what distinguishes GCA: A focus on the final cup, transparency, and value chain relevance. In this session we will discuss how credible benchmarks support producers, roasters, and brands in making quality-driven, trust-building decisions.
CONFERENCE - 10:45 AM - 11:10 AM
Surviving EUDR: Turning New Deforestation Regulations into a Competitive Advantage
Mireya Levi
Rising environmental and trade regulations, including the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), are reshaping smallholder access to European markets. This presentation explores how new technical, financial, and operational demands create both barriers and strategic opportunities. It reframes geospatial data as a tool for farm mapping, soil management, and risk planning—turning compliance into resilience, efficiency, and added value through collaboration.
CONFERENCE - 11:20 AM - 11:45 AM
Data-Driven Coffee: How Producers and Roasters Stay Ahead in 2026
Griffin Hall
Practical and accessible data can help producers and roasters stay competitive in 2026. This session explores how building effective feedback loops across the value chain, from fermentation and moisture tracking to roast curves and customer insights, supports smarter decisions and greater consistency. Shared data fosters collaboration, transparency, trust, resilience, and quality without replacing craft or creativity.
CONFERENCE - 11:55 AM - 12:20 PM
Beyond the Cup Score: Shifting Values of Health-Conscious Buyers and Industry Opportunities.
Ildi Revi
Grounded in scientific research, this session examines how coffee interacts with the liver and how farming and roasting decisions influence health outcomes. It explores how coffee compounds become active metabolites affecting inflammation and long-term liver health, translating science into practical guidance on processing cleanliness and roast degree for quality-focused, health-conscious consumers.
CONFERENCE - 12:30 PM - 12:55 PM
What Coffee Can Learn from Craft Beer: Forecasting Trends & Future Challenges
Erik Busch
Examining the parallel evolution of specialty coffee and craft beer, this presentation looks at shared shifts in consumer preferences, sales trends, and market cycles. Drawing lessons from recent challenges in craft beer, it explores how coffee often follows similar patterns, slightly delayed, offering tools to anticipate risk, spot saturation signals, and prepare for increasing competition.
MOVIE SCREENING - 14:25 PM - 15:00 PM
La Fortaleza
OBIIS
La Fortaleza is a documentary by Obiis that portrays the human realities behind coffee production, exploring the challenges, tensions, and resilience of those who sustain the value chain at origin. Through intimate stories, it reveals market complexities, structural inequalities, and the strength of coffee-growing communities in a changing global landscape.
DAY 2
CONFERENCE - 8:30 AM - 8:55 AM
Coffee Flavor Profiles of El Salvador
Jorge Escobar
Exploring the sensory diversity of Salvadoran coffee, this session presents distinctive flavor profiles linked to varieties, processes, and microclimates. Through practical examples, it examines how these attributes develop and how they can be better communicated in the market, strengthening differentiation, value at origin, and connection between producers, roasters, and consumers.
CONFERENCE - 9:00 AM - 9:25 AM
Engineering Consistent Flavor Profiles & Mastering Fermentation Kinetics
Arturo Valencia
Coffee fermentation is presented as a controllable biological system rather than an empirical practice, showing how applied science can shape consistent, differentiated flavor profiles. Using real farm examples, this session demonstrates how managing key post-harvest variables reduces risk, improves quality, and increases value through practical, replicable protocols adapted to conditions at origin.
CONFERENCE - 9:35 AM - 10:00 AM
The Decaf Boom: How to Capture the Untapped 15% of the Market
Ezri Herrera
Decaffeinated coffee is emerging as a significant segment of specialty, driven by consumers who expect the same quality, traceability, and care as any other offering. Drawing on Swiss Water standards and collaboration with producers and exporters, this presentation explores how modern decaffeination preserves flavor integrity while unlocking a growing, often underestimated market opportunity.
CONFERENCE - 10:10 AM - 10:35 AM
Economics of Coffee: Value at Origin and Pricing.
Bob Fish
Introducing the economic foundations of coffee pricing, this talk focuses on value creation at origin and how prices form across the supply chain. It sets the stage for a hands-on farmgate pricing workshop by outlining key cost drivers, margins, and sustainability factors, aligning participants around shared terminology before moving into applied exercises.
CONFERENCE - 10:45 AM - 11:10 AM
Soil of Excellence: Beyond the Competition
Arnaud Causse
Exploring the origins and vision behind Soil of Excellence, this talk addresses the growing challenge of soil fertility loss in coffee production. It expands quality beyond sensory attributes to include soil health, resilience, and long-term sustainability, showing how stronger soil systems can generate commercial value and responsible differentiation across the value chain.
CONFERENCE - 11:20 AM - 11:45 AM
Market Tendency: Preparing for Lower Coffee Prices
Ricardo Pereira
Market volatility has defined coffee pricing for decades, as shown by fifty years of market cycles. This talk examines the structural forces behind price corrections, including global supply and demand climate logistics and speculation. It will present strategic responses such as direct relationships diversification quality focus and cost efficiency, offering practical guidance to prepare for lower coffee prices with resilience and long term vision.
CONFERENCE - 11:55 AM - 12:20 PM
Coffee market 2026: Order Amidst Chaos: Arising Risks, Future Scenarios, and Effective Hedging Strategies
Albert Scalla
Amid ongoing volatility, the 2026 coffee market is defined by uncertainty and shifting dynamics. This session examines emerging risks, evolving supply and demand scenarios, and the structural forces shaping price behavior. It also explores practical hedging and risk management strategies, offering tools to navigate instability, protect margins, and make more informed decisions in an increasingly complex market environment.
CONFERENCE - 12:30 PM - 12:55 PM
Quality vs Novelty: Integrating Tradition and Innovation in Specialty Coffee
Dakota Graff
Exploring the balance between quality and novelty in specialty coffee, this talk examines how technical excellence and innovation can work together. Using practical examples, it highlights ways to craft engaging coffee experiences rooted in quality, while aligning consistency and creativity to build more meaningful connections with the coffees we serve.
CONFERENCE - 14:25 PM - 14:50 PM
What the Consumer Actually Thinks: Data-Driven Insights for Producers & Roasters
Nick Spilger
Drawing on Siip’s survey insights and user behavior data, this session examines the gap between how the industry describes coffee and how consumers perceive it. It identifies what resonates, where confusion emerges, and how clearer, data-informed communication can strengthen connection, build loyalty, and support long-term demand across segments.
CONFERENCE - 15:00 PM - 15:25 PM
Soil & Water Management: Protecting Yields and Quality in Coffee Production
Axel Schmidt
Effective soil and water management is critical to protecting yield and quality in coffee production. Drawing on field experience, including the CRS Cosecha Azul program, this presentation explores how regenerative practices strengthen soil health, integrated fertility, and water efficiency. It highlights agroforestry and regenerative agriculture as drivers of cup quality, climate resilience, and long-term economic stability for smallholders.
CONFERENCE - 15:35 PM - 16:00 PM
New Revenue Streams: How to Innovate with Green Coffee Extracts & Kombucha
Jeremiah Borrego
Green coffee is opening new revenue opportunities beyond roasting. This session explores how green coffee extracts and kombucha can be developed into sparkling functional energy drinks positioned as healthier alternatives. It will cover sourcing brewing fermentation and flavor basics while sharing practical insights for roasters and coffee shops to diversify menus attract new customers and create added value.