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East African Coffee Cooperative
45%
Increase in Farmer Income
12
Countries with Direct Exports
80%
Farmers Receiving Quality Premiums
60%
Reduction in Transaction Costs
Smallholder coffee farmers across East Africa were receiving a fraction of the international market price for their beans. Multiple intermediaries, lack of market information, and no way to demonstrate quality meant farmers had little bargaining power. We built a digital marketplace that connects farmers directly with international buyers, with quality verification and transparent pricing.
The platform includes mobile money integration for instant payments, quality grading assistance via phone camera, and market price alerts. Farmers can now access premium markets previously only available to large estates.
Smallholder farmers were losing 40-60% of potential value to intermediaries and lack of market access.
Multiple middlemen capturing majority of value chain profits
No way for farmers to demonstrate coffee quality to buyers
Delayed payments, sometimes 60+ days after delivery
No access to international market prices or trends
Large buyers unwilling to work with individual smallholders
Quality inconsistency due to lack of standardization
End-to-end digital marketplace connecting farmers to international buyers with quality verification and instant payments.
Phone camera-based quality assessment helping farmers grade their coffee.
Platform matching farmers and cooperatives with international roasters.
M-Pesa integration for immediate payment upon verified delivery.
Real-time international coffee prices accessible via USSD and app.
Tools for cooperatives to aggregate supply and manage member farmers.
Farm-to-cup tracking meeting international sustainability standards.
Our phased approach ensured successful delivery and adoption.
Interviewed 200+ farmers, cooperatives, and international buyers to understand needs.
Built mobile-first marketplace with USSD fallback for feature phones.
Developed AI-assisted quality grading with agronomist validation.
Recruited initial international buyers and established trust mechanisms.
Scaled to 10,000+ farmers across three countries.
Measurable outcomes that transformed the business.
45%
Increase in Farmer Income
Direct market access and quality premiums dramatically improved farmer earnings.
12
Countries with Direct Exports
Farmers now export directly to roasters in 12 countries.
80%
Farmers Receiving Quality Premiums
Majority of farmers now earn premiums for verified quality.
60%
Reduction in Transaction Costs
Eliminating intermediaries reduced costs throughout the chain.
10K+
Farmers on Platform
Over 10,000 smallholder farmers using the marketplace.
< 48hr
Payment Time
Payments processed within 48 hours vs. 60+ days previously.
“For the first time, I know what my coffee is worth on the international market. Last season I earned 45% more than the year before, and I was paid within two days of delivery.”
Peter Mwangi
Coffee Farmer, Nyeri County
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