Taking Coffee into the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Its been here for a while, but are we using it properly? The Fourth Industrial Revolution has been a buzzword for several years now, but have we really stopped to think about how it can be used in the coffee industry? Here are some thoughts.
Coffee and technology have had a healthy relationship ever since the invention of the coffee drink. Tech, in its simplicity, is essentially what turns coffee into the warm, comforting beverage that we all know and love. From harvesting the coffee beans, cleaning and roasting them, to finally brewing the perfect cup. Technology is involved in every step of the process. So naturally, as technology evolves so do the different ways of brewing coffee.
Tracing from bean to cup
Over the last few years, the coffee sector has been concerned about long-term sustainability, specifically the need to provide coffee farmers with enough income to ensure a good living standard. This is even more evident in third world countries where subsistence farmers are not being treated according to the Fair Trade Movement regulations. Consumers want transparency and the reassurance that their consumption is contributing to solving a problem, not making it worse. For this reason, many giant tech companies are working to implement transparency by digitizing and democratizing the measurement of sensory quality, as well as offering true farm-to-table traceability of the coffee beans from farm to coffee cup. This will allow farmers to measure, manage and get a better price estimate for their coffee. Consumers can in turn have better recognition of the origin of the coffee they are consuming. Imagine that!
These same tech firms are initiating the development of existing technology to build a suite of applications that will allow our farmers to accurately measure and manage their post-harvest processes by consistently producing optimal coffee quality. Such applications are just one of many high-value use cases that can be provided to bring a new level of efficiency to a critical stage of coffee production while minimizing the cost of failure for both the roaster and the farmer.
Big Tech Solutions
Big Tech firms are developing solutions which offer producers and roasters insights, utilizing near-infra-red sensor technology and AI-driven data intelligence. Together with a suite of SaaS-based solutions, they can deliver taste assessments and profile green coffee beans with swift, accurate quality measurements and traceability throughout the supply chain. These new technological solutions also have the ability to benefit coffee professionals as well as coffee enthusiasts who can now enjoy the coffee tech perks and features from the comfort of their homes. These technological advances will become more relevant now due to the the COVID-19 pandemic, as home brewing becomes more popular, with an increasing production of quality espresso machines for your home which can also connect to your phone or other appliances. made possible through the advent of SMART homes. The future of these apps will allow you more control over the brewing process and automatically place coffee orders and purchases when your beans or coffee pods are running low.
Pricing coffee for Sustainability
In Columbia, a tech company has committed to paying its farmers a living income, and is pioneering a data-driven approach to setting farm-gate coffee prices. Effectively this startup has collated all of the pricing input costs of production from each of its farmers and ensures that they are compensated in line with the Verified Living Income (VLI), an initiative focused on developing a transparent and inclusive method of price discovery. This ensures that profit margins are maintained and fair trade can be achieved within the coffee market.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution has opened up heaps of opportunities for farmers, roasters and coffee professionals to improve their lives and livelihoods.
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Originally published at http://dailyjava.co on August 23, 2021.