Two pilot programs designed to trace green coffee from countries of origin are underway using new blockchain technology developed by bext360.
The programs, which began in November, are intended to track the product inventory and payments to coffee farmers, according to a bext360 statement.
In Uganda, Great Lakes Coffee will install a proprietary “bextmachine” with its farming partners so they can deposit their coffee cherries for analysis at washing stations. The farmers are paid at that time. The product is then tracked to coffee roaster Coda Coffee in Denver, Colo., where the beans will be roasted and sold.
In the second program, Moyee Coffee will participate in a four-month revenue-generating project by sourcing coffee in Ethiopia and providing proof that living-wage payments are made to farmers. That information also will be tracked through a bextmachine.
The bext360 blockchain technology is designed to deliver coffee cooperatives and smallholder farmers real-time verification and payment for their crops. Eventually, consumers will be able track their coffees’ origins as they make their individual purchasing decisions and see for themselves the positive impact their buying decisions make on the farm, according to bext360.
Blockchains are networks of cloud-based databases that track digital information and transactions.
Learn more: STiR’s June 2017 issue