Mobile Apps for Coffee Farmers: 10 Lessons Learned in the Field

It’s hard to build mobile apps. But it’s even harder to build them them for people very different from yourself – in this case, coffee farmers in Tanzania. How do you go about building an app for someone who’s never before used a computer, smartphone, or tablet? How do you convince a farmer to use your app when you speak different languages, come from different contexts, and have different needs? How can you ensure that your app is creating a lasting, positive impact?

This month's Mobile Portland presentation shows how Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers faced these challenges, and what they learned along the way. After deploying iOS apps and mobile-optimized websites in coffee-growing communities around the world, Sustainable Harvest has plenty to share. You might be surprised how lessons learned in places like Moshi, Tanzania and San Ignacio, Peru apply to Portland, Oregon.

Video: http://vimeo.com/46312706
Event info: http://mobileportland.com/events/mobile-apps-coffee-farmers-10-lessons-learned-field

Transcript

1. Mobile Apps for Coffee Farmers 10 Lessons Learned in the Field
2. Mobile Apps for Coffee Farmers 10 Lessons Learned in the Field Ezra J. Spier Director of Technology Solutions Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers www.sustainableharvest.com ezra@sustainableharvest.com @sh_ezra_pdx Mobile Portland July 23, 2012
3. Sustainable Harvest invests a third of its annual earnings in training and services for our suppliers in Latin America and East Africa. We conduct our business at origin, empowering our partners to make decisions that bring them long-term economic benefits. Portland Sustainable Harvest Oaxaca, Mexico Bogota, Colombia Lima, Peru Kigoma & Moshi, Tanzania
4. The Traditional Coffee Supply Chain information product revenue ROAST SELL FINANCE IMPORT GROW PICK MILL STORE COLLECT PROCESS
5. Relationship Coffee Supply Chain training & technology traceability & credit product payment product A transparent supply chain based on direct relationships.
9. Sustainable Harvest has grown 41% annually since 1997, proving the business case for Relationship Coffee™ and scaling our impact. Scaling Our Business Model $0 $16 $32 $48 $64 $80 $3 $4 $6 $9 $12 $15 $16 $21 $25 $34 $78 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Customers Green Coffee Sales, Millions of Dollars
10. RITS: Relationship Information Tracking System
11. Video watch this video at http://youtu.be/1lrLCrraC2k
12. RITS Producer ▪Web application; requires internet access ▪Piloted at 15 rural collection stations at the Kilicafe cooperative in Tanzania who have tracked about 30,000 transactions ▪Funded as part of a grant from USAID/COMPETE in 2009-2012 ▪Replaced at pilot locations with offline-capable system Cooperative workflow and internal traceability
13. RITS Metrics ▪Hybrid system using off-the-shelf data collection app and custom web-based analytics platform ▪Pilot projects in Mexico, Peru, Tanzania, and throughout Central America ▪Used in projects funded by GMCR foundation and private funders Field data collection and analytics
14. RITS Ed ▪Native iPad app, works completely offline ▪Videos in English, Spanish, Swahili, and French ▪Content categories include agronomy, food security, quality control, finance, and coffee brewing methods. ▪Piloted in Tanzania, Peru, Mexico with dozens of agronomists and community trainers. ▪RITS Ed: Cupping available free in the App Store Training and education for coffee communities
16. TEN LESSONS
17. Get grounded: become an informed anthropologist. LESSON ONE
19. The best way to encourage adoption is to build indispensable solutions. LESSON TWO
21. Trust is paramount; help build it by having a stake in the game. LESSON THREE
23. Work with partners that are as passionate as you. LESSON FOUR
24. Funders and Partners
25. Choose your platforms carefully and push them to their limits. LESSON FIVE
27. “I’m going to show you a video I made on how to properly sort coffee. In this video I discuss the problems found in our coffees after it’s collected. When I show farmers this video, they understand me better.” - Ernest Munuo, trainer Messengarony Group, Kilicafe
28. “You can do everything on the iPad. I can take a picture of a training and share the picture with our colleagues at Sustainable Harvest right away so that they learn what we are doing in the field.” - Judica Nsanya, trainer Singisi Group, Kilicafe
29. Prepare yourself for surprises by practicing pessimistic engineering. LESSON SIX
32. Let users surprise and inspire you. LESSON SEVEN
34. Problems are best solved with creativity, collaboration, and transparency. LESSON EIGHT
36. Have clear goals for success: starting over does not necessarily mean failure. LESSON NINE
39. Make sustainability your top priority by building an MSP, not an MVP. LESSON TEN
44. Q & A