Please describe your proposed solution.
Based on the current reality of the coffee industry in the country, here are some additional considerations that may impact the project:
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Climate Change: The effects of climate change, such as unpredictable weather patterns and droughts, may impact the productivity and quality of coffee crop
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Political Unrest: Ongoing political instability and unrest can pose significant challenges to the project's implementation, including difficulties accessing farmland and transporting equipment and staff safely to and from the project sit
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Bureaucratic Inefficiency: The country's bureaucracy may pose a challenge in obtaining permits, licenses, and other necessary legal requirements for the project
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Perverse Incentives: Government policies and priorities may provide perverse incentives that discourage coffee production and favor other land uses or industries
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Economic Inequality: The coffee industry, like many agribusinesses, is characterized by significant inequality between farmers and other actors in the supply chai
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Education Constraints: Low levels of education and limited agricultural knowledge can hinder the adoption of smart farming practices and other innovation
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Innovation Scarcity: The lack of innovation in the coffee industry may limit the potential impact of the project
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Famine of Information: Limited access to information and data can hinder the project's ability to collect and analyze accurate dat
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Low-cost computing and ubiquitous communications: These factors offer opportunities for leveraging technology to collect and analyze data more efficiently, and to communicate with farmers more effective.
The proposed solution is to connect finance to the needs of coffee farmers in order to achieve the following goals within five years:
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Increase the price per coffee bean by over 500% per kilogram at the farm level by improving coffee quality, increasing the value of coffee through information and marketing techniques, and creating new products like impact certificates and carbon credits
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Develop local capabilities for coffee farming and create a sustainable coffee industry that benefits the community
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Reduce the input cost by diversifying the use of coffee waste products such as coffee pulp, which can be used as fertilizers or coffee flour, and stems that can become charcoal
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Improve access to food through companion planting, by grazing animals and planting food crops among the coffee tree
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Deploy regenerative agriculture practices to improve soil quality and sustainability, such as planting pest deterrents and native trees for shade
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Create new products such as impact certificates and carbon credits to market coffee sustainably and increase the value of the coffee beans
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Increase community wellbeing by going directly to the buyer and improving the economic status of the farmer
That's a lot of work that will take many years to achieve. We are excited to take it on slowly; Desmond Tutu once wisely said that “there is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.”
The bite we are taking on with this project is:
To measure and verify the impact of the proposed solution:
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Number of pests and beneficial insects: To monitor the success of pest control using natural methods, the number of pests and beneficial insects such as ladybugs, lacewings and parasitic wasps need to be tracked
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Soil quality: Soil tests such as pH levels, nutrient levels, and soil organic matter content can be done to monitor soil quality
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Water quality: Water samples can be taken and tested for physical and chemical parameters such as pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and nitrates to monitor water quality
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Coffee cherry quality: The quality of coffee cherries can be measured by factors such as size, color, and sugar content
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Coffee bean quality: The quality of coffee beans can be evaluated by factors like aroma, flavor, acidity, and body
Collecting this data regularly will help to monitor the success of the proposed solution in improving the quality, production, and sustainability of coffee farming. It can also provide insights to make adjustments to the proposed solution for continuous improvement and better outcomes in the future.
We've created 5 proposed experiments for measuring and verifying the status of the farms:
Experiment 1: Connectivity
- Access to electricity for the farm and the use of Wi-Fi to support the flow of information between the farmer and external stakeholders
- Blockchain technology to ensure transparency and traceability of the coffee supply chain
Experiment 2: Mapping the farm
- Use of aerial photography drones to create farm maps to monitor land use and crop health
- Check title deeds of the farm's borders to ensure compliance with land ownership laws
- Use of GPS technology to monitor farm borders
Experiment 3: Sensors
- Monitoring of air temperature, humidity, light intensity, and CO2 levels to optimize plant growth conditions
- Use of sensors to optimize irrigation and soil conservation practices
Experiment 4: Soil Sensor
- Monitoring of soil moisture, temperature, and electrical conductivity levels to optimize soil management practices
- Monitor rainfall and soil condition to optimize irrigation practices
- Use of photography to monitor soil health
Experiment 5: Pest Observation
- Use of two colors of fly paper to monitor flying pest populations
- Observation of weeds in two areas of the farm
- Photography of fly paper and weeds to monitor pest and weed population trends.
Throughout the three months, daily photos of five spots on the farm will be taken to monitor crop health and progress. Collecting this data will help the farmer monitor the impact of the solution and optimize practices based on the findings. By increasing transparency, traceability, and optimizing our knowledge of the farms, we aim to address miscommunication between farmer Owners & managers and leapfrog the coffee industry into the future.
https://sites.orbital.co.ke/drone.html
https://www.seeedstudio.com/SenseCAP-S2103-LoRaWAN-CO2-Temperature-and-Humidity-Sensor-p-5356.html
How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?
Our proposed solution addresses the challenge of promoting sustainable and responsible farming practices in the coffee industry while promoting transparency and traceability in the supply chain. Specifically, the project aims to implement blockchain technology and various monitoring systems to promote transparency and traceability in the coffee supply chain and apply sustainable farming techniques to improve coffee production.
The benefits of this project to the Cardano ecosystem are numerous. Firstly, the project aligns with Cardano's focus on sustainability, decentralization, and transparency. By implementing blockchain technology for transparency in the coffee supply chain, the project brings transparency and accountability to the coffee industry, which can then be adapted to other industries in the future.
Secondly, the project promotes the adoption of technology in farming techniques. By implementing sensors and monitoring systems, farmers can optimize water and soil conservation practices and improve plant health and productivity. This not only benefits the coffee industry but also has the potential to improve the wider agricultural industry.
Thirdly, the project aims to build sustainable relationships with local farmers and cooperatives. By promoting responsible farming practices and creating transparency in the coffee supply chain, the project can create partnerships that promote sustainable and responsible business practices. This can potentially help Cardano in creating new partnerships and relationships towards furthering its mission.
Cardano's investment in this project will not only fund the project team but also showcase Cardano's commitment to projects that promote environmental sustainability, transparency, and decentralized business practices in various industries. It will bring more visibility to the Cardano ecosystem, as the project is likely to attract attention from other industries that are looking for sustainable and transparent farming practices.
We expect that the project will have a significant impact on the coffee industry in the East African region, promote the adoption of technology in farming techniques, and showcase the potential of blockchain technology in promoting transparency and accountability in various industries. In terms of quantifying the impact, we expect to see an increase in coffee production and sustainability in the region, an increase in the adoption of technology in farming techniques, and an increase in sustainable and transparent business practices in the wider industry. It is realistic to expect a significant increase in the number of transactions recorded on the blockchain, as the technology promotes transparency and accountability in the supply chain. Additionally, we expect to see an increase in the number of participants in the Cardano community who are interested in sustainable and responsible business practices.
The CoffeeChain project will prioritize collaborative engagement with local farmers and involve them in decision-making throughout the project lifecycle to ensure sustainability and success.
How do you intend to measure the success of your project?
In order to make changes to a farm [regarding pesticide use], it is crucial to monitor and establish the current state of the environment, including wildlife, soil quality, water sources, and weather patterns. Taking a benchmark of the environment helps to evaluate the impact of any changes made over time. An environmental monitoring program should be implemented to track changes and identify the best environmental practices. Pesticides can negatively impact the environment, leading to soil contamination, water pollution, and destruction of natural habitats. Therefore, it is crucial to establish a benchmark before making changes to the farm and monitor the environment carefully to avoid adverse effects. We intend to be careful before making any suggestions to local farmers for example regarding how to manage their pests. Very few experiments have been undertaken in Robusta Coffee in regards to Aphids or Coffee Berry Disease etc
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Installation Time: The time it takes to set up the infrastructure, including equipment installation, configuration, and testing
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Cost: The total cost of the project, including equipment, labor, and other expense
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Accuracy: The accuracy of the infrastructure in measuring tree health, which can be evaluated by comparing the measurements obtained from the infrastructure to those obtained from traditional method
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Reliability: The reliability of the infrastructure in terms of the equipment's ability to work consistently and provide accurate measurements over time
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Maintenance: The frequency and cost of maintenance required to keep the infrastructure in good working order
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User-Friendliness: The ease of use of the infrastructure for orchard staff, including the clarity of instructions, the simplicity of the equipment, and the ease of interpretation of result
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Scalability: The ability to expand the infrastructure to measure more trees or to add additional features in the future, such as disease detection or pest management
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Efficiency: The efficiency of the infrastructure in terms of time and resources required to collect dat
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Data Quality: The quality of the data collected by the infrastructure, including the accuracy and precision of the measurement
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Data Management: The effectiveness of the data management system in storing, organizing, and retrieving data collected by the infrastructure
By regularly evaluating these criteria, it will be possible to assess the project's success, identify any areas for improvement, and make adjustments to optimize the infrastructure's performance.
Based on the data collected from the infrastructure, the following metrics could be used to track the success of the project:
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Light Intensity: Measured in lux units, this metric can help track the amount of light reaching the trees to ensure optimal growth condition
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Air Temperature: Measured in degrees Celsius, this metric can help track changes in ambient temperature and ensure that the trees are not exposed to temperature extreme
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Air Humidity: Measured as a percentage, this metric can help optimize irrigation practices by ensuring that the trees receive adequate moisture
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CO2: Measured in parts per million (ppm), this metric can help track the quality of the air in the orchard and ensure that the trees receive adequate ventilation
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Photos: The number and quality of photos taken could be tracked to ensure that there is adequate documentation of changes in tree health over time
In addition to tracking these data-based metrics, the following metrics could be used to track engagement, cost, and capability:
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Engagement: This metric could be tracked through monitoring attendance and participation in team meetings, contract compliance, and tracking email/WhatsApp response rate
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Cost: This metric could track the cost of physical travel by the team to the farm and any additional expenses incurred during the project
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Capability: This metric could track the team's ability to take pictures and upload them, measure the data accurately, and interpret the result
Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?
The core problem we aim to solve is the lack of sustainable and responsible farming practices in the coffee industry, along with the lack of transparency and traceability in the coffee supply chain. This leads to environmental degradation, unethical practices, and a lack of consumer trust.
By implementing Cardano's blockchain technology and various monitoring systems, we seek to address these issues by promoting transparency and traceability in the coffee supply chain. This will allow consumers to have clear visibility into the origins of their coffee, ensuring that it has been produced in a sustainable and responsible manner. It will also enable farmers to optimize their farming practices, leading to improved productivity and reduced environmental impact.
Furthermore, the project aims to address the challenge of promoting sustainable farming techniques. By implementing sensors and monitoring systems, we can provide farmers with real-time data on soil conditions, temperature, humidity, and other relevant factors. This will enable them to make informed decisions, conserve water and soil, reduce chemical usage, and improve overall farming practices.
Overall, the core issue that we aim to fix is the lack of transparency, traceability, and sustainable practices in the coffee industry. By leveraging blockchain technology and monitoring systems, we can bring transparency to the supply chain, promote responsible farming practices, and provide consumers with the confidence that their coffee is produced in an ethical and sustainable manner.