The Relationship Information Tracking System (RITS): Building Simple Applications to Improve Coffee Traceability, Transparency and Quality

The initiative, led by Sustainable Harvest, aimed to enhance the competitiveness of coffee cooperatives in the region. The organization's objectives for the seventh quarter were to continue linking Kilicafe to potential buyers and facilitating contract signing, tracking coffee and farmer payments at RITS washing stations, and monitoring and evaluating the RITS program with Kilicafe. Sustainable Harvest staff continued to troubleshoot RITS, linking Kilicafe to new potential buyers, and extending traceability to the roaster level. The organization's IT team focused on developing a roaster page in RITS, allowing roasters to access data associated with coffee samples. Allegro signed a contract with Kilicafe for a container of specialty coffee, and another US buyer was in negotiations. The number of registered farmers in the RITS system more than doubled, and the volume of coffee tracked surged. Farmers appreciated the ability to view their own records and be reassured of their data. The system also helped to increase financial transparency and lending efficiency. Initial analysis revealed that internet connectivity remained the most prevalent and enduring challenge to the program's success. The RITS program aimed to improve coffee quality and increase transparency between growers and roasters. The system allowed roasters to access data associated with coffee samples, including information about the producers who contributed to the coffee. The program's objectives included linking Kilicafe to potential buyers, facilitating contract signing, and monitoring and evaluating the RITS program. Sustainable Harvest staff worked with Kilicafe's marketing and sales team to identify specialty coffee buyers and prepare samples for approval. The organization's IT team developed a roaster page in RITS, allowing roasters to access data associated with coffee samples. The system also helped to increase financial transparency and lending efficiency. The RITS system was designed to improve coffee traceability, transparency, and quality. The system allowed farmers to view their own records and be reassured of their data. The program's objectives included linking Kilicafe to potential buyers, facilitating contract signing, and monitoring and evaluating the RITS program. The system also helped to increase financial transparency and lending efficiency.