Honduras: IBM’s Food Trust to Track Coffee, Cocoa Beans Provenance via Blockchain

IBM blockchain and non-profit Heifer International are teaming to help small-scale coffee farmers in Honduras get better access to markets.

IBM Blockchain and Heifer to Improve Coffee Supply Chain

Smallholder coffee and cocoa farmers and their cooperatives in Honduras are set to tap IBM’s blockchain solution – IBM Food Trust – and IBM Watson Decision Platform for Agriculture to access new markets and make more informed business decisions.

For those not in the know, small-scale coffee farmers operate at a staggering average loss of 46-59% as they earn less than 1% of the sale of a cup of coffee at a coffee shop. Clearly, this calls for an immediate revamp of the supply chain logistics associated with coffee and cocoa farming.

Against that backdrop, individuals purchasing cocoa via Heifer Honduras’ Chocolate4All project will be able to trace the provenance of goods by levering IBM’s Food Trust. The solution will essentially connect and validate participants in a particular supply chain.

In addition, coffee farmers will tap the benefits of blockchain technology by providing their customers a means to purchase authentic beans through COPRANIL – one of Honduras’ oldest coffee cooperatives.

The release adds that IBM Food Trust will aid coffee and cocoa farmers to swiftly verify certifications, improve treatment processes, and help producers with producing quality beans.

Commenting on the development, Kareem Yusuf, Ph.D., IBM General Manager AI Applications and Blockchain, said:

“Our work with Heifer International and COPRANIL is an important test of how AI and blockchain technology can advance social good and support sustainability by helping even small-scale producers.”

Adding:

“With predictive AI working to help increase crop yield, and blockchain establishing a record of provenance and proof of quality, these farmers are empowered with new data and insights so they can command more at market.”

Blockchain for Coffee Supply Chain

Blockchain’s immutability makes it an ideal technology for supply chain use-cases that extends to the coffee industry.

In August 2020, BTCManager reported how Starbucks stores across the US would allow customers to trace the supply chain journey of their coffee via a Microsoft-powered blockchain solution.

On a recent note, a UK-based coffee manufacturer partnered with fintech firm Farmer Connect to integrate the latter’s blockchain-based coffee tracking solution to track one of its coffee brands named UCC Coffee.