GLOBAL COFFEEPLATFORM

The Digital Coffee Farmer Program is an initiative of Cecafé, the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Association with 132 associates and responsible for 97% of all Brazilian exported green coffee, in partnership with Global Coffee Platform.

The Digital Coffee Farmer Program

…trains coffee producers to improve the management of their farms and the quality of their coffee, using computers and the Internet as tools for support and researching information on climate, prices, markets, production techniques and best agricultural practices.

It aims to ensure a healthy coffee bean, free from contamination (physical, chemical and biological), thus helping to increase the profitability of their business, and ensuring the environment’s sustainability, as well as an upgrading to the local population’s quality of life.

Originally conceived in 2006 for family farms,

smallholder farmers or rural workers, the purpose was to encourage digital inclusion so they can learn about information technology and understand concepts of internet access as a tool for working in the field and managing the coffee farm.

“We learned how important monitoring is, (…) we are better informed and we do things correctly now, without harming nature”

Alberico Fereira, Coffee Farmer

“It was difficult to use the computer in the beginning. But soon it became easy. We also learned how to check the weather forecast, rain predictions for our region and coffee prices. For us this is great. One of the best things ever happened”

Claudio Arriel, Coffee Farmer

In 2016, Cecafé recognized the need to improve this project and, in partnership with the Global Coffee Platform, decided to expand the scope of its activity, previously restricted to digital inclusion, to include the sharing of best agricultural practices, with an emphasis on sustainability. This partnership allowed Cecafé to strengthen cooperation terms with extension workers, who provide agricultural technicians to run courses in order to train farmers, using their own materials, especially in relation to sustainable actions for the Brazilian coffee industry.

“Previously we didn’t have control of production costs. We used to harvest and sell coffee but we never really knew how much we spent or earned“

Neide Peixoto, Coffee Farmer

So far, 2,840 smallholder coffee farmers

have been trained in the use of computers and the internet, including sustainability content aiming to improve profitability and coffee growers livelihoods.

Cecafe and other GCP Members in Brazil

will continue to roll out the Digital Coffee Farmer Program to even more farming communities across the country.

For a behind the scenes look

at the Digital Coffee Farmer Program, please follow us on Instagram