Advancements in technology have made it easier to bring transparency and equality to the coffee industry. The coffee industry from years-past has been faced with challenges, and many coffee farmers around the globe have been exploited and underpaid.
The exploitation mostly comes from the middlemen as most of these farmers do not have the resources to sell coffee directly to manufacturers. In the end, farmers only receive a small fraction of the total sales.
But, thanks to blockchain technology, and platforms like iFinca, there's now an unprecedented link between coffee producers and consumers. This close linkage helps build transparency in the industry so that no party in the supply chain is exploited.
iFinca was founded with the mission to ensure that the coffee industry is run ethically. They are committed to creating fairness and transparency in this industry with an emphasis on better payment for the farmers. iFinca uses blockchain technology to connect the final coffee consumers with the farmers. Through the platform, the farmers can easily interact with anyone in the supply chain. This kind of transparency is crucial if consumers want to be socially conscious while they enjoy their cup of coffee.
"If we're going to make sure farmers get what they need to produce coffee sustainably, we need to figure out how to better distribute value," said Alexander Barrett, CEO of iFinca. "With iFinca handling the heavy work of sharing verified information, we're able to create efficiencies across the supply chain that ensure that farmers are better compensated and receive a living income."
The iFinca mobile application is available in both the Apple Store and on Google Play. The platform was launched in October 2019 and has grown in popularity since then. More than 9,000 individual farmers use the platform, and consumers can also access information about the coffee they are consuming, by scanning QR code at the point of sale.
Embracing technology in the coffee industry will safeguard and ensure sustainability and ethics. Trust and transparency are the keys to making necessary changes in an industry that was founded in colonialism and inequality.
