Why I Challenge the SCA, Coffee Competitions and Industry Norms (Lee Safar) | EP1140 Part 5 of 5 (Map It Forward)
Advertising Sponsor
Want to join our Map It Forward Monthly Community Discussion Group? Head to https://patreon.com/mapitforward to join the community by signing up for the "Roasted Coffee" tier for 20 USD per month. Find other like-minded people in the coffee industry. This community is open to all stakeholders in the coffee industry
Episode Description
This is part 5 of a new 5-part solo series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward hosted by Lee Safar. In this final episode of the final solo series of 2026, Lee answers questions submitted by the Map It Forward community alongside some of the questions she's most frequently asked about the podcast, the coffee industry, and her personal journey.
The conversation begins with a lighter question from Mia Feinstein about Lee's favourite coffees and roasters, including Stitch Coffee https://www.instagram.com/stitch.coffee/ in Sydney, Bunah Coffee https://www.instagram.com/bunahcoffee.co/ in Saudi Arabia, and Kurasu in Kyoto https://www.instagram.com/kurasu.kyoto/
Bean Inspired Coffee Roasters https://www.instagram.com/beaninspiredcoffeeroasters/ then asks what makes a producer-to-importer-to-roaster relationship genuinely beneficial for producers. Lee explains why the people connecting producers and roasters are so important, highlighting the roles of transparency, traceability, responsible payment practices, and long-term commercial relationships.
She shares examples of businesses and people she believes are building responsible coffee supply chains, including Arcadia Green Coffee https://www.instagram.com/arcadiagreencoffee/ , Angel Barrera from Belco https://www.instagram.com/koliafobiano/ , Arkena Coffee https://www.instagram.com/arkenacoffee/ , Honduran Coffee Alliance https://www.instagram.com/hondurancoffeealliance/ , and Semilla Coffee https://www.instagram.com/semillacoffee/ . Lee also recommends recent podcast conversations with Felipe Croce and David Bray from The Common Ground Collective and Bram de Hoek from Paso Paso.
The discussion then turns to a question from Bill Harris about the cooperatives affected by the Benecke Coffee insolvency. Lee shares a message from Rodolfo Peñalba at COMSA about the importance of maintaining relationships with producer cooperatives and why small roasters should not be expected to carry the financial burden of larger companies' failures.
Lee also answers several frequently asked questions: Why does she live in Dubai? How can someone become a guest on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast? Why is she so critical of the Specialty Coffee Association? And why does she believe coffee competitions distract the industry from more pressing commercial and structural problems?
She explains her expectations for podcast guests, her concerns about the SCA's role as an industry organisation, and why she believes the industry should give greater priority to governance, fair pricing, and sustainable business models.
The episode closes with Lee reflecting on what she hopes the future of coffee will look like: an industry where responsible businesses with responsible pricing models become the standard rather than the exception.
Connect with Lee Safar and Map It Forward:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leesafar
Map It Forward: https://mapitforward.coffee