Colombia. Coffee meets Ag-Tech

After steadily climbing a winding path up the mountains of Antioquia, Colombia, we reached a point where the motorcycle wasn’t able to advance any further. A 30-minute walk to ensued until we reached the house of one of the farmers participating in the Farmer Link project. “Some farms are hard to reach. Many times, these are the ones that most appreciate the services we’re providing” the team of Technical Advisor and Community Link from the Cooperativa de los Andes mentioned on the hike during a three-day visit to our Farmer Link project.

“This railing is new”, Oscar Alejandro Echeverri, one of the over 2,000 producers involved in the project, pointed out while leading us to a typical rooftop coffee drying station. Installing or ensuring safety measures is one of the first changes producers make. At least twice a year, the staff visits each producer to view progress on the accomplishment of the management plans and to establish new goals.

Although each producer has a large three-year plan–complete with the full list of tasks, as well as stickers to track the dates when they plant, fertilize, harvest, postered somewhere in their house–, more than that is being done during each visit. The Community Links (young men and women trained by the cooperative to assist in capturing data for the project) are equipped with tablets that feed into the cooperative’s database. The information gathered is used by the Coop to truly understand the needs of producers.

Backed by Starbucks, COEX, and the Grameen Foundation, the project is also providing credits to farmers in order to improve infrastructure on their farms. Farmer Link initially targeted 2,000 of the Cooperative’s members, but in 2018, it was announced that these services will be extended to all the over 3,000 farmers working with the Cooperative.

“We’ve received benefits through credits and are paid an additional premium depending on the quality of our coffee. We didn’t have visits from Technical Advisors before joining the project”. Oscar Alejandro added.

Antioquia isn’t the only place in Colombia where SAFE projects are taking place. The Colombian region of Meta is the home of our most recent project Tierra Colombia. MAKAIA, Lavazza Foundation, ALO&Partners, Microsoft Colombia, and Carcafé are working with 100 coffee-growing families that are currently being certified in sustainable practices. Farmers will also have internet access for the first time, thanks to the investments of these organizations.

This region, in particular, the municipalities of Mesetas, Lejanías, and San Juan de Arama, have faced the consequences of the internal conflict in Colombia for many years. This, along with other reasons, has led the production and management of coffee crops in the region to be developed in an empirical and artisanal manner. Nevertheless, due to the conditions of the region in terms of altitude, climate, soil type, and the biodiversity of the area itself, there is great potential for the production of high-quality coffee.

The project will implement an information and databased platform with tools and information sources and practices adapted to the farmer’s needs. ICT adoption workshops for coffee growers, with a special focus on youth and women, will also take place to help asses permanent needs, identify problems, and develop solutions.

The project will create “Innovation Labs” in two of the Schools and Farms already connected to the Internet, by Lavazza, as well as in 4 local public libraries. These spaces will foster activities of cocreation, resolution of challenges, among others. In these Labs, new local Ag-Tech ideas will be tested.

Midway through Lina and Oscar’s interview, their children returned from school. After showing off their tests results and getting something to drink, they went out to play in the yard. “This is who we do this for. Participating in these types of projects allows us to improve our coffee and livelihoods, which helps create a better future for our children”, Oscar Alejandro added.