Coffee Quality Institute
María Esther Thome-López currently serves as a Post-Harvest Processing Assistant Instructor and Quality Evaluation Lecturer at the Coffee Quality Institute since 2022. Additionally, María is a Trainer for the European Speciality Tea Association, focused on fostering excellence within the speciality tea community since December 2021. With extensive experience in the specialty coffee sector, María is a Co-Creator at Coffea School and has been a member of the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe and the Specialty Coffee Association of America since 2013 and 2011, respectively. Previous roles include Head Coach and Green Coffee Buyer at Café Registrado® and Community Manager for SCAE Spain. María holds a law degree from Universidad de Carabobo and has a background in customs and tax law, with over 15 years of experience in the field.
Coffee Quality Institute
Since 1996, Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) has worked to improve the quality of coffee and the lives of people who produce it. Quality is one of the most important variables that influence a coffee’s value. However, many producers do not have access to the tools and support they need to understand the quality of their coffee, improve that quality, access markets that reward that quality, ultimately enabling them to make more informed business choices. That’s where we come in.