07/10/25
ECOM at 16th SCTA Forum & Dinner
Last week, members of ECOM's coffee teams attended the 16th Swiss Coffee Trade Association (SCTA) Forum and Dinner in Basel. The event brought together industry partners and peers to share insights and celebrate innovation across the coffee sector. During the evening, ECOM was proud to be presented with the SCTA Next Gen's Sustainability Award for our project Silent Brew, Strong Voices.
Led by Haiya Zhang, our SMS Manager in China, this initiative supports youth with hearing impairments in coffee-producing communities by offering tailored vocational training and career opportunities in the coffee sector.
Through a combination of inclusive education and professional skill-building, from farm management to coffee quality grading and barista training, the project seeks to establish long-term structures that promote inclusion within both special education and the coffee industry.
“Coffee-related capacity building for hearing-impaired students is very meaningful at our school. We hope to continue to create more possibilities for students in the coffee industry.” – Ms Xie Furong, Teacher at Pu’er Special Education School
We are grateful to the SCTA community for this recognition and to all those involved in Silent Brew, Strong Voices for their ongoing commitment to creating opportunities for young people across our coffee origins.
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