Today at CES Vegas, Farmer Connect and IBM have launched the mobile application ‘Thank My Farmer’. The App will allow coffee drinkers to trace their coffee and support the farmer who grew the beans. Farmers will similarly benefit significantly from the new solution.
Coffee is one of the most consumed beverage worldwide with roughly 42.6 liters per person, according to Statista. However, its supply chain has been opaque due to lack of information about the players including the farmers, exporters, coffee roasters, distributors, among others.
To address this challenge, Farmer Connect a Swiss startup specialising in traceability solutions and IBM joined forces – more than a year ago – to develop new solutions to increase transparency, efficiency and fairness in the coffee industry. The mobile application which is based on IBM Food Trust Platform is the outcome of their collaboration.
The app pulls information directly from the blockchain to highlight the coffee journey in the form of an interactive map and provides information about the farmers, roasters, and brands. Moreover, the app provides information on sustainability projects in coffee communities, and an option for consumers to support them. Similarly, farmers will also benefit by having a digital track record of production and payment data that will, in turn, make many of them bankable for the first time.
At the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Farmer Connect and IBM presented the app to the audience for the first time. The app will be launched to the general market at the beginning of 2020. Users in the U.S. and Canada will be able to scan QR codes on 1850® brand premium single-origin coffee while European consumers will access the “Thank My Farmer” app through a new single-origin brand, Beyers 1769, roasted at Beyers Koffie. As the app expands, large and small companies will be invited to join.
“The aim is to humanize each coffee drinker’s relationship with their daily cup,” said David Behrends, Founder and President of Farmer Connect. “Consumers now can play an active role in sustainability governance by supporting coffee farmers in developing nations. Through the blockchain and this consumer app, we’re creating a virtuous cycle.”
Digital identity for app users
Farmer Connect is currently incorporating self-sovereign identity, a new form of digital identity built on distributed ledger technology, in collaboration with the Sovrin Foundation. This closes the loop on a circular economy that will enhance smallholder livelihoods while delivering transparency and a better experience for the consumer.
(Press release/RAN)
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