A Look at Digital Coffee Future’s Digital Origin Education Program

Posted on January 25, 2023

The new program connects coffee producers to one another, provides them with educational resources, and more.

BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Photos courtesy of the Cocaerol, Comal & Amprocal cooperatives in Honduras

Since 2021, Digital Coffee Future (DCF) has been working on a digital training program to address the needs of coffee producers. In September and October 2022, the DCF team—together with the Neumann Foundation and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)—guided 20 cooperatives from Central America through a pilot program.

Over the course of six weeks, participants had the opportunity to connect with other professionals. They worked on digital content, learned from their peers, and formed an online community. Today at Barista Magazine, we take a closer look at this innovative project and learn from the experiences of participants.

The exterior of a building at The Cocaerol Cooperative in Honduras. In the concrete patio outside the blue structure, coffee beans have been laid out to dry in the sun in several enormous piles. Another small green builfing and a pickup truck can be seen in the background. — The Cocaerol cooperative in Honduras saw the potential of this program helping to strengthen their business operations.

Equipping Coffee Producers for Digital Transformation

The Digital Origin Education Program (DOEP) is an online course designed by DCF to help coffee producers actors gain the skills they need to implement successful digital projects. Through lectures and hands-on exercises, participants learn how to assess their digital maturity, tailor digital tools to their needs, and develop a comprehensive plan for digital transformation.

The pilot program aims to equip cooperatives from Guatemala and Honduras with the skills to independently develop digital projects. The course offers a deep dive into digitalization and its potential for the sector. There’s an emphasis on understanding how to use existing tools and data to strengthen the cooperatives’ business operations.

A woman in a purple striped shirt and baseball cap works gathering coffee cherries in a basket around her waist and looks over at the camera. — Producers have begun to realize the potential of digitalization in coffee production through the Digital Origin Education Program.

Marisol Velásquez of the Honduran coffee cooperative COCREBISTOL says that the cooperatives have received interesting and innovative training through the program. “I believe that each coffee company will be strengthened in the different processes it carries out,“ she says. “We have learned a lot about digitalization and digitization, which if we apply (these lessons) will allow us to have the necessary information on time and also reduce working hours. Personally, it has helped me to learn many new and handy tools.“

Workers tend to coffee seedlings on a rasied platform. The plants are wrapped in plastic to retain moisture in their soil. One man is on his cell phone while two women are gathering seedlings into a plastic crate. — Streamlining their business operations with the help of this program, coffee cooperatives are now better equipped to tackle challenges such as traceability while increasing efficiency.

A Step-by-Step Approach To Digitalization

Arnold Alvarado from the cooperative Puringla Café, who participated in the program, says, “Digitalization is a process that is very important to be able to have positive results in each process of the companies. DOEP is a program that allows us to carry out these processes through digitalization using methods, programs, and applications with which we can streamline our processes.“

In the coming year, Digital Coffee Future will continue to expand its education process and foster growth as it seeks to assist small producers in over 70 countries. DCF’s aim is for the program to have a positive impact on coffee cooperatives and their journey toward digitalization.

A woman in a wide brimmed hat and plaid shirt gathers coffee cherries into a basket tied to her waist. She has a long braid and earrings. — Digital Coffee Future plans to expand its program in the coming year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior online correspondent for Barista Magazine, and a freelance copywriter and editor with a primary focus on the coffee niche. She has also been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, providing content to help educate people about baristas and their work. You can follow her adventures at thewanderingbean.net.

The post A Look at Digital Coffee Future’s Digital Origin Education Program appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

This article was first published here.

3 Elements Coffee: Supporting Veterans, One Cup at a Time

Posted on January 23, 2023

by Dorian Bodnariuc

The Australian roasting company helps to create opportunities for veteran communities.

BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Photos courtesy of 3 Elements Coffee

Brisbane, Australia-based 3 Elements Coffee, founded by Navy veteran Terry McNally in 2016, has a mission to support the transition of ex-military personnel into the commercial workspace. To help achieve their goal and raise awareness of related issues, Terry picked coffee as their product of choice, using funds generated to assist in the transition process. We reached out to Terry to find out how 3 Elements Coffee began, what the company has achieved so far, and much more.

Choosing Coffee to Support Veterans

Knowing that many veterans face difficulties when trying to adjust to civilian life after service, 3 Elements works to ensure they are supported through this transition. One of their main goals is to raise funds for two charities: PTSD Resurrected and Australian Veterans’ Children Assistance Trust. These organizations provide veterans with job training, interview skills, and education scholarships for their children.

A veteran in a wheelchair, missing one leg, holds up two bags of coffee near the 3 Elements coffee kiosk at the Invictus Games in Australia. Someone at the kiosk in the background gives a peace sign. — 3 Elements Coffee was served during the Invictus Games, an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans.

Terry, a Navy veteran himself, cares deeply about the post-service transition for veterans. “Often HR companies don’t understand what skill-sets military personnel have and how they translate to commercial speech. This is the same for the veteran during transition; they don’t know how to communicate what they have done to an HR company. (They may find) it hard to get employment and need a transition course to help them integrate into the commercial community.” By providing courses, coaching, and funds for veteran charities, 3 Elements Coffee hopes to make a positive change in the lives of those who have served their country.

Terry picked coffee as the company’s product of choice because he believes it is a great way to bring people together. “Coffee is a great way to connect people and start conversations; it’s something we all can relate to,” he says. ”For us, it’s also about the taste and sourcing of premium beans from around the world, while ensuring that producers are being paid correctly to support their own families.”

A gray-haired man in a suit, wearing glasses, shakes hands with a man in uniform. Onlookers smile near an Invictus Games banner. — The 3 Elements team attends various community events, where they serve up delicious coffees and educate people about their mission and how to support veterans.

How 3 Elements Gives Back to Veteran Communities

The company does several things to support veterans, such as developing custom roasts for charity organizations by mixing blends that they promote on their respective websites. In addition, a percentage of sales are given back to the charity. The charity can also purchase coffee at a reduced wholesale rate, with 100% of profits going back to them. 3 Elements also donates half-year and full-year supplies of coffee as prizes in auctions.

Coffee Carts

3 Elements will also loan out their coffee carts to veterans looking to start their own businesses. Terry explains that they don’t charge for the loan of the machine and the cart; these tools help veterans to see whether a coffee business is for them. “If it is for them, we then loan the cart ’til they save up enough money to buy/build their own cart so they become self-sufficient, allowing us to then re-loan out the cart to another veteran,“ he says. “If it’s not for them, it still gives the veteran opportunities to talk about themselves to the customer whilst serving coffee. … (They can) show potential business owners/companies who they are and talk about what they did in the military in the hope that person gives them a formal interview/job.”

Many veterans have found success in 3 Elements Coffee’s transition programs, and Terry is proud of what the company has achieved. He hopes to see more veterans given the opportunity to pick up new skills and find meaningful employment after service in the military. “My advice to them is to think about their passion and how they can turn it into a business. Stick to what they know. Research what they want to do and if there is a market for it. Be prepared to work long hours to start with and go to as many network nights as they can,” he says.

The collaboration with Lee Child is an example of the company’s commitment to creating meaningful partnerships with shared values.

Jack Reacher Collab

3 Elements Coffee has also teamed up with Lee Child, the award-winning author of the highly successful Jack Reacher books, to create a special range of limited-edition blends for fans in Australia and New Zealand. The company plans to expand by offering even more veterans the opportunity to own their own coffee carts. Furthermore, they will be actively promoting their businesses in the community as a way of helping other communities, clubs, and organizations raise funds for their own initiatives that benefit the community through the love of great coffee.

All these activities are aimed at continuing to give back to society while simultaneously growing the reach of the company’s business. If you wish to find out more or get involved with 3 Elements’ initiatives, check out their website!