Dimitra, a leading blockchain-based enterprise system for AgTech driving productive, intelligent, and inclusive farming, is working closely with Limu Inara Multipurpose Cooperatives Union, an Ethiopia-based union comprising of approximately 51,000 farmers, on a new project to improve the livelihoods of farmers and transform agricultural practices in the region.
Limu Inara Cooperatives Union Export Manager, Tilahun Getachew, says, “Limu Inara Cooperative Union is excited to embark on this journey with Dimitra Technologies, bringing together our collective expertise by contributing to existing efforts to change the livelihood of smallholders by coordinating, organizing, and sensitizing smallholders on the production of sustainable quality and organic coffee supplying to the local and international market.”
Through the collaboration, the Ethiopian coffee farmers affiliated with the Limu Inara Cooperative Union will gain access to Dimitra’s industry-leading technology, enabling farmers to modernize and digitize various agricultural processes. In particular, they will deploy Dimitra’s Connected Coffee Platform and Deforestation Compliance Module.
Limu Inara Cooperatives Union General Manager, Miftahu Jemal, says, “After the general meeting of Limu Inara Cooperative Union, we are thrilled to announce a strategic partnership between Limu Inara Cooperative Union and Dimitra Technologies, two industry leaders dedicated to the shared goal of increasing crop yields, simplifying technology adoption, better education for increasing yield and product quality.”
Importers of coffee to the European Union are starting to scale back purchases from small farmers in Ethiopia – where some 5 million farming families rely on the crop — as they prepare for a landmark EU law that will ban the sale of goods linked to the destruction of forests.
Dimitra’s Connected Coffee Platform and Deforestation Compliance Module solution is poised to alleviate the cost and difficulty of complying with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
The Connected Coffee solution enables real-time tracking and tracing of coffee beans throughout all different levels of the supply chain. This feature is crucial for meeting EUDR requirements, as importers must digitally map their supply chains down to the plot where the raw materials were grown. By also leveraging Dimitra’s Deforestation Compliance Module, smallholder farmers can ensure compliance with the stringent EUDR standards. The platform incorporates satellite analysis, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and mobile technology, providing a comprehensive solution for farmers to prove that their produce is deforestation-free.
The ability to supply traceability for products and prove compliance with regulations adds significant value to the coffee produced by Ethiopian farmers. This not only safeguards their market access within the EU but also opens up opportunities to reach new markets that prioritize sustainably sourced products. By providing an efficient and technologically advanced way to trace and prove the origins of coffee beans, Dimitra’s technology not only supports compliance but also empowers farmers in the face of evolving market demands.
This collaboration between Dimitra and the Limu Inara Multipurpose Cooperatives Union signifies a positive step towards sustainable and technologically empowered agriculture, benefiting farmers, consumers, and the environment.
Dimitra’s Sub-Saharan Africa Director, Victor Femi-Fred, says, “Dimitra, through the deployment of its technology, will ensure that Limu Inara Cooperative is in compliance with the deforestation law. This will help them complete the requirements for certification and ensure premium recognition for its coffee.”
About Dimitra
Dimitra is a leading blockchain-based operating system for AgTech driving productive, intelligent, and inclusive farming, empowering farmers to make farming smarter through actionable data-driven insights. Each of Dimitra’s five market-leading platforms ensures farmers and businesses have access to the latest technologies to combat deforestation, increase yield, reduce costs, and mitigate risks. A frontrunner in technology and agriculture, the Dimitra team has a wealth of experience on the global and local level having worked with and for agriculture government agencies in Brazil, India, Uganda, and Nepal, among others.