Digitizing the Fair Trade Coffee Supply Chain

About this Project

Acopio is a web app that helps manage every step of the fair trade coffee growing and selling process—from collection in the field through delivery to the end buyer. However, previous versions of the app often failed to work in the remote coffee-growing areas, which required the farmers to take manual notes for digital processing at a later time.

To simplify this process and ensure accuracy throughout the supply chain, we partnered with Fair Trade USA to develop a native Android app that allows farmers to quickly and efficiently input information from the field. With the new Acopio app, farmers can work offline in the fields, save the information locally, then upload it once they have access to the internet.

We completely overhauled the existing web application, which now functions as the backend for the Android client and provides new functionalities and dashboards for commercial managers working with the data. Our cross-functional team worked in close collaboration with Fair Trade USA, including an extensive review of existing research and personas, to develop a user-focused interface. A live style guide and library of assets gives our clients the tools they need to manage design updates to the app over time.

Because the application needed to work well in both English and Spanish with the ability to add languages over time, we used a special translation server that allowed Fair Trade USA translators to see and update translations in real time before being pulled into the app.

The app uses technology in a way that accounts for the unique situations facing fair trade coffee farmers—increasing productivity and improving lives.

Need an app that makes life easier for people in remote areas?