Due to agroclimatic conditions, 90% of the world’s coffee production takes place in 45 developing countries where it employs 25 million farmers and provides a livelihood for more than 100 million people. Over the past few decades, coffee has not been a stable and profitable source of income for farmers. Actually, coffee producers are continuously living on a loss and depending on aid from governments. They are notoriously poorly paid in a relatively rich industry where less than 5% of the global industry value remains in producing countries. The coffee’s value chain involves a lot of hands; the industry’s trading is managed by very few companies; and the price is tied to the commodity market, which is ruled by volatility and speculation. “Fair Trade” certifications are not enough. So, why instead of thinking about social responsibility practices and certifications, which don’t reach the majority of growers, don’t we redesign the entire value chain to make it completely transparent, efficient and able to generate win-win economic transactions?
Fantine is a blockchain-enabled marketplace that allows farmers to transact directly with roasters and buyers, as well as to set prices for their coffee beans based on their real production costs. This empowers coffee growers to break free from the top-down speculative pricing of traditional commodities markets by connecting growers directly with roasters and buyers, as well as removes some of the import/export middlemen who create unnecessary costs and market complexities without adding real value to the consumer.
Buyers receive full transparency about coffee’s quality and origin, better prices and fresher coffee. They can also certify consumers that the coffee they are buying is truly fair trade, as its price is based on the real production costs. Our platform also allows consumers to send a tip directly to the farm.
Through Fantine, farmers and buyers create better value throughout the entire value chain, allowing consumers to feel better about guzzling their beloved caffeinated beverages, while simultaneously creating more equity and fairness for the growers in the value chain. Fantine is piloting their marketplace in Colombia, where more than 500,000 farmers rely on coffee production as their livelihood.
Fantine brings transparency, trust and traceability to the entire coffee value chain. Fantine enables closer relationships between producers and roasters, permitting them to transact in a transparent and efficient manner.
Fantine is the B2B marketplace of fair (unroasted) coffee beans. Fantine is the Alibaba of specialty coffee.
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