In an effort to explore more sustainable approaches to coffee farming in challenging environments as climate change proves a hurdle for farmers, Cisco has forged a partnership with the ConSenso Project, a coalition of Tanzanian espresso farmers and Italian plant and technology researchers, with the aim of employing the Internet of Things (IoT) to “listen to the plants.”
This collaboration is yielding a solution that holds promise for both the economic prosperity of the growers and the environmental well-being of the planet, presenting a positive development for coffee enthusiasts worldwide. Getting the right growing conditions is paramount in ensuring coffee with the ideal balance of sweetness and acidity, particularly in regions where water is increasingly scarce.
“Due to climate change, the growers in Tanzania are facing a reduction in the rainy season,” said Dr. Camilla Pandolfi of PNAT, a think tank of plant scientists and technology designers based in Florence, Italy. “So, they are irrigating to ensure that the plants flower at the right time and give the beans time to ripen. That means a lot of water is used.”
Technology is helping to play a pivotal role in assisting farmers in determining optimal irrigation timing and quantity, among other factors.
The Tunasikia Farm in Utengule, Tanzania, for instance, has been equipped with 65 solar-powered IoT sensors that collect an array of data on soil conditions, sunlight exposure, climate patterns, carbon capture, insect activity, and the electrical energy fields of the plants, offering insights into their well-being and requirements. Following initial on-site analysis, the data, spanning six months thus far, is transmitted to Florence for further examination, supported by Cisco networking, security, and cloud technologies.
“We are addressing many challenges and potential advantages,” said Angelo Fienga, Cisco’s Director of Sustainable Solutions for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), “for example, preserving the soil and saving water. But equally important is helping the farmers grow their businesses sustainably. Because the social and economic aspect is highly relevant to the success of the project.”
Tanzania ranks among the world’s top 20 coffee-producing nations. Helping farmers in navigating adverse conditions is imperative for their prosperity and that of the nation. The technologies implemented in Tanzania also hold potential for expansion to other regions.
“Many developing nations grow coffee — in Africa, South and Central America, Southeast Asia, and other places,” noted Massimo Battaglia, Coffee Research Leader at Accademia del Caffè Espresso in Florence, another ConSenso partner. “And we would like to propose this kind of solution around the world.”
Battaglia, whose parents were olive growers, feels a personal connection to the struggles of farmers. He stresses that many coffee farms worldwide are small, family-run operations.
“It’s my dream,” he said, “for this technology to help the families have a better standard of living. The value chain for coffee is long and complicated, but the first part — the growers — is sometimes neglected.”
In capturing large amounts of data, Cisco solutions are indispensable. Cisco LoRaWAN, renowned for its long-range data transmission and low power consumption, is among the technologies facilitating sensor connectivity while enabling local preliminary data analysis. Cisco cloud and LTE technologies further support secure data transfer to and from Florence. Additionally, Cisco Webex enables real-time, secure collaboration between project members in Tanzania and Florence.
“The technology permits us to understand the language of the plants,” said Michele Festuccia, Senior Systems Engineer manager for Cisco Italy. “This is amazing to me, and it’s a perfect solution to help the farmers have a more sustainable footprint and the best success.”
The research is exploring coffee plants’ ability to sequester carbon dioxide (CO2), mitigating its release into the atmosphere.
“We are thinking that along with other reforestation efforts around the world,” said Festuccia, “coffee plants can have an impact on climate change.”
Pandolfi posits that coffee plants, when accompanied by carefully chosen shade trees, may excel at carbon capture, though further research is warranted.
“We are now developing our models and dashboard for monitoring carbon,” she said. “We have some estimates, but this will be another quite interesting output of the project. We want to demonstrate how coffee farming can store CO2 and help remove it from the atmosphere.”
From assisting local coffee growers to carbon sequestration for climate change mitigation, the ConSenso Project presents a multitude of possibilities and, as Battaglia emphasised, a successful mix of partners.
“We have the knowledge about coffee,” he said, “we have the economic side, we have the technology of the sensors, and we have Cisco with the network and technology of the cloud. And we all have the conviction. In the end, it’s a perfect marriage.”
All parties eagerly anticipate June, when the initial data insights will be fully analysed and disseminated, as well as the subsequent phases of the project.
“The researchers want three full growing seasons from which to really understand the plants,” added Festuccia.
Looking ahead, Fienga is enthusiastic about the potential advancements that additional technologies, such as artificial intelligence, can bring.
“Through the use of our Cisco technologies and connectivity, we can transfer huge amounts of data,” he said. “AI, if properly trained, can extract insights from that data in ways that humans cannot. And that applies anywhere you have massive amounts of data, including from plants.”
Extending these solutions beyond coffee cultivation is another primary objective, particularly as climate change continues to disrupt agriculture globally.
“Monitoring the needs of plants has many implications for other crops,” Pandolfi explained. “We are based in Italy, so for us olive oil production and wine are top of mind. But they are just two examples. We could train the system on the biophysical parameters of other important crops.”
Or as Battaglia concluded, “We just need to listen to the needs of the plants.”
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