📘 Sustainable Coffee Trade and Logistics in the Age of Digital Information
🎯 Course Overview
This course explores how sustainable practices shape the global coffee trade and logistics systems, and how digital technologies enable transparency, resilience, and efficiency throughout the coffee value chain—from farm to market. Learners will understand environmental and social sustainability standards, logistics challenges, and the role of data, blockchain, analytics, and e-commerce in modern coffee systems.
🧠 Who This Course Is For
- Coffee professionals (traders, logistics coordinators)
- Sustainability advocates and supply chain students
- Entrepreneurs and tech innovators in agribusiness
- Policy makers and development practitioners
📅 Learning Format
- Duration: 8–12 weeks
- Method: Lectures, case studies, practical activities, digital tools labs
- Delivery: In-person or online (self-paced or instructor-led)
- Hubs : Kenya Coffee School and Barista Mtaani
📚 Module Breakdown
Module 1 — Introduction to the Global Coffee Sector
Key Topics
- History and economics of coffee
- Major coffee producing and consuming regions
- The coffee value chain: from cultivation to consumption
Learning Outcomes ✔ Understand global coffee market fundamentals
✔ Identify key players in the coffee ecosystem
Module 2 — Sustainability in Coffee: Concepts & Standards
Key Topics
- What is sustainability?
- Environmental, social, and economic dimensions
- Overview of: Fair Trade, G4T Certification, Rainforest Alliance, Organic, UTZ/SAN standards
Learning Outcomes ✔ Explain sustainability frameworks
✔ Evaluate different certification schemes
Module 3 — Challenges in Sustainable Coffee Production
Key Topics
- Climate change impacts (droughts, pests, yield risks)
- Soil health, biodiversity, water usage
- Farmer livelihoods and gender equity
Activities 🔹 Case study: Climate-resilient coffee farms
🔹 Group discussion on social impacts
Module 4 — Digital Information in the Coffee Supply Chain
Key Topics
- Digital data flows: collection, sharing, privacy
- Key platforms: traceability systems, farm data apps
- IoT sensors in agriculture
Tools Highlighted
- Mobile data collection tools
- Cloud-based traceability platforms
Learning Outcomes ✔ Understand how digital information improves supply chain transparency
Module 5 — Blockchain & Traceability for Coffee
Key Topics
- What is blockchain?
- Traceability benefits: authenticity, premiums, risk reduction
- Examples of blockchain in coffee
Hands-On Project 📌 Simulate a traceability ledger for a coffee lot
Module 6 — Logistics of Coffee Trade
Key Topics
- Coffee grading and quality control
- Transportation modes (sea, air, land)
- Storage, cold chain needs, handling standards
Learning Outcomes ✔ Analyze logistical bottlenecks ✔ Apply best practices in shipping and storage
Module 7 — Digital Tools for Logistics Management
Key Topics
- TMS (Transportation Management Systems)
- GPS/Telematics for cargo tracking
- Data dashboards and analytics
Hands-On Lab 📊 Build a sample shipping dashboard
Module 8 — Ethical Sourcing and Buyer Relationships
Key Topics
- Procurement strategies
- Long-term contracts vs. spot buying
- Digital contracting and smart contracts
Learning Outcomes ✔ Design a buyer sourcing strategy grounded in sustainability
Module 9 — Sustainability Metrics & Reporting
Key Topics
- KPIs: carbon footprint, deforestation, labor outcomes
- Reporting formats (ESG, GRI, SDGs)
- Use of analytics tools
Activity 📝 Draft a sustainability scorecard for a coffee exporter
Module 10 — Future Trends & Case Studies
Key Topics
- AI in coffee forecasting
- E-commerce and direct trade
- Policy shifts & global standards
Case Studies ✔ Digital traceability success stories
✔ Logistics optimization in developing markets
📝 Assessment & Certification
- Quizzes at end of each module
- Practical project: design a digitally-enabled sustainable coffee trade plan
- Final presentation or e-portfolio
- Certificate of Completion
🧩 Suggested Tools & Resources
📌 Digital Tools
- Blockchain traceability platforms
- FarmData cloud services
- Transportation Management Systems
📌 Readings
- Sustainability standards documentation
- Global coffee market reports
- Research on digital supply chains
📌 Optional
- Field visits to farms or roasteries
- Guest speakers (traders, tech solution providers)
🎓 Skills You Will Gain
✔ Sustainability strategy for agribusiness
✔ Understanding coffee trade economics
✔ Basics of logistics & supply chain planning
✔ Digital literacy in traceability & data tools
✔ Analytical skills to measure impact
Enroll in this course : Call 0707503647 or 0704375390