Our Experience

Ethiopia Digital Traceability Project

Project Description

The Digital Traceability Project assisted the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) to respond to international coffee roaster demand for source of origin requirements. This collaboration between the USAID-funded , implemented by ACDI/VOCA, and the ECX launched traceable coffee to expand the exports of Ethiopian coffee by improving market visibility and value and ensuring increased farm-gate prices for smallholder farmers. The traceability scheme gives international buyers visibility into the geographic origin of each bag of coffee purchased at the ECX down to the processing station where it came from.

The Traceability Project Team was embedded in ECX and funded by IDH through the Sustainable Coffee Program to conduct the following activities: traceability software customization, project coordination and technical support, and training materials and workshops.

Project Approach

The ECX traceability system acquisition and implementation initiative was designed to respond to sustainability requirements while achieving major operational efficiencies in inventory control, monitoring, and customer service areas. Activities of the project included registering all of the washing stations in Ethiopia and connecting them to the traceability system that the project created.

The implementation of the traceability initiative was envisaged to provide buyers with traceable information on coffee purchased at ECX by associating each coffee bag delivered with the respective coffee processing (washing or hauling) station using barcode tags.

Impact and Accomplishments

The traceability system increased Ethiopia’s coffee sales in the international market by responding to its increasing demand for and commitment to traceable coffee, thus benefiting producers and increasing their incomes throughout the country. The new traceability system also provides further public transparency and information availability about coffee-growing areas and coffee farmers.

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