Managing Coffee Farmers Using Biometrics Enabled Custom Solutions

Managing coffee farmers and providing them with constant support is a big issue in African countries. Kenya, which is one of the largest coffee-producing countries, is thinking about implementing a biometrics enabled custom solutions to manage coffee farmers effectively.

About Coffee farming in Kenya 

In Kenya, coffee is one of the most important cash crops; it constitutes a significant source of income for small-scale farmers. The country is known for its high-quality Arabica beans, which are grown on small plots of land in the highlands, mainly in the Central, Eastern, and Western regions. The coffee industry in Kenya is regulated by the Coffee Board of Kenya, which sets standards for producing, grading, and marketing coffee. Coffee farming in Kenya is typically done using traditional methods, with farmers handpicking the ripe coffee cherries and processing them in wet or dry form. Nevertheless, coffee farmers in Kenya are facing some challenges, including climate change, low prices, and a lack of access to credit and markets. 

The credit issue among farmers 

Lack of access to credit is a significant challenge for coffee farmers in Kenya, as it limits their ability to invest in their farms, and improve their production. Many small-scale farmers in Kenya lack the collateral or credit history required to secure a loan from a traditional bank, and even when they do, the interest rates are often too high for them to afford. This lack of access to credit can prevent farmers from buying necessary inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, and coffee seedlings, and from investing in infrastructure such as irrigation systems.

Additionally, lack of access to credit limits farmers’ ability to improve their processing methods and dry their coffee correctly, which can negatively impact the quality and value of their coffee. This, in turn, can make it more difficult for them to sell their coffee at a fair price, thereby further exacerbating the poverty and debt cycle.

In recent years, efforts have been channeled toward addressing this issue through microfinance programs, which provide small loans to farmers at more affordable interest rates. These programs have successfully increased access to credit for small-scale farmers, but still, there remains a long way to go in ensuring that every farmer has access to credit.

Biometrics enabled custom solutions for coffee farmers 

Overall, biometrics-enabled custom solutions can be a valuable tool for managing coffee farmers by providing a secure and efficient way to verify identities. M2SYS is a global provider of biometric-enabled custom solutions and to date, M2SYS has provided custom biometric solutions to help tackle different issues in different parts of the world. Biometrics-enabled custom solutions can be used to manage coffee farmers by using biometric identifiers such as fingerprints or facial recognition to verify the identity of farmers and to track their activities and transactions. Implementing a custom biometric solution can help solve the following issues: 

Streamline credit and loan disbursements: Biometric identification can be used to verify farmers’ identity and to ensure that loans and credit are disbursed to the correct individuals. This can help to reduce fraud and mismanagement and to ensure that farmers have access to the resources they need to improve their farms.

Improve traceability and transparency: Biometrics can be used to track the movement of coffee beans from the farm to the market; it ensures that they are appropriately tracked and traced. This can help to improve transparency and accountability and to ensure that farmers are paid a fair price for their coffee.

Monitor farming activities: Biometrics can be used to monitor farmers’ activities, such as user inputs like fertilizers and pesticides, and to ensure that they are using sustainable and environmentally friendly methods. This can help to improve the quality of the coffee and to promote sustainable farming practices. Kenyan coffee farmers farm in societies, and it’s normal to move from one farm to another. Thus, biometrics-enabled solutions can play a vital role in tracking the movement of farmers across societies.  

M2SYS for biometrics enabled custom solutions

M2SYS is a global provider of biometrics enabled custom solutions and it has been helping governments and enterprises to implement biometric-enabled solutions for over a decade now. The company has implemented various eGoverment solutions in different African countries that include the NS security fund in Uganda, Voter ID for Nigeria, Healthcare SSO in Kenya, and more. M2SYS also plans to extend its support to African countries to solve different issues using biometric technology. To learn more about it please contact us.