COVID-19 is pushing digital transformation at origin
A guest blog by Yasmin Córdova, our Program Manager Latin America
Since the beginning of the pandemic there have been many changes in the global context and in people’s habits and behavior. For many of the producer organizations in Latin America it has been especially difficult to adapt to the new situation. “Not all the areas have access to internet and some members have phones but no internet, […] others don’t have neither phones nor internet,” stated Jimmy Rojas from Aproeco, a producer organization based in Peru, in San Martin.
Before COVID-19, online working was not usually used, there was low knowledge about digital tools for communication or data analysis, and the weak internet connection constitutes the biggest limitation to execute online activities in these areas. However, many producer organizations turned the face of the coin and have tried to advance little by little.
“We tried to adapt since we have many communications with actors in the Netherlands, the USA and Germany and, therefore, we need to find different solutions, not only via email but also meetings through Zoom and Teams. […] Platforms that we didn’t know before.” This is what told us Silvia Gonzalez of Uca Miraflor in Nicaragua.
Even with challenges due to lack of internet connection and access to devices, the digital transformation reached everyone. “It was sufficient to communicate the message to one or two people to inform everyone else who didn’t have WhatsApp,” Jimmy told us. “We created a WhatsApp group. […] We communicated everything; best practices, effects of coronavirus, […] prices, coffee pests and diseases and any topics connected with the activities we are developing in the organization”, he continued.
Technical assistance is no longer just face-to-face, now audiovisual material is developed to guide the members so they can execute the activities in the field correctly by themselves. “WhatsApp has really helped us with the development [of the activities] we are doing. We saw a reduction in costs. Now, we can do [everything] without the need of meeting in a specific place,” Silvia told us.
Due major international coffee events have been canceled as an impact of pandemic; leaders of producer organizations have had to change their contact and marketing strategy with clients. “We normally had contacts with clients participating in the events, but this year we didn’t,” Silvia continues, “We participated to many webinars organized by roasters and buyers […] and with one we were able to get a contract. It was an opportunity that came and we took it.”
The opportunity to create digital adoption for producer organizations is also connected to the access of information about the tools currently available. At Beyco we have seen an increase in coffee producers’ organizations registered on the platform. User growth has been more visible in this Covid time, which means that organizations are more flexible to use new tools. “I don’t know yet how things will go, but I think these [digital] tools will increase its use,” Silvia commented, “Beyco is an alternative opportunity for us to trade our coffee, since we can upload offers and get in touch directly with buyers.
The future still brings a lot of questions. From my perspective, producer organizations should implement more digital tools in their management, operations and data analysis. There is a lot of growth potential with the use of these tools, but due to the lack of knowledge and investment of the organizations, the benefits that they can obtain has not yet tangible.
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