EP1608 Part 3 of 5 | The Data Trust Problem In Coffee (Patreon Discussion Group) | Map It Forward

Advertising SponsorWant to join our Map It Forward Monthly Community Discussion Group? Head to https://patreon.com/mapitforward to join the community by signing up to the "Roasted Coffee" tier for 20 USD per month. Find other like-minded people in the coffee industry.Episode DescriptionThis is episode 3 of a 5-part series from a Patreon Discussion Group hosted by Map It Forward Founder, Lee Safar. In this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, we're discussing the role technology and data could play in solving some of the biggest challenges facing the coffee industry.This conversation was never intended to become a podcast. It originally took place as part of one of Map It Forward's monthly Patreon Discussion Groups, where coffee professionals from across the value chain gather to explore important industry topics. The conversation was so insightful that everyone involved agreed it should be shared publicly.In this episode, Lee Safar is joined by Oscar Montoya (Data Scientist and Coffee Farm Owner), Luci Reid (Agroecologist), Matthew Thornton (Founder of Arkena Coffee Marketplace), Samo Smrke (Coffee Scientist), and Liam O'Connell (Business Analyst).The conversation moves into one of the most complex challenges in coffee technology: trust. As more technology tools rely on collecting information from producers, the group asks an increasingly important question: who owns the data being gathered throughout the coffee supply chain?Luci Reid explores how certification requirements, biodiversity reporting, and technology platforms can unintentionally become extractive when farmers are required to provide more and more information without receiving enough value in return. Oscar Montoya expands the discussion by examining how data is monetized, why people often give away information without understanding its value, and what that means for producers being asked to trust new technologies.The discussion then shifts into pricing. Matthew Thornton shares the realities of building Arkena Coffee Marketplace and explains why creating pricing transparency at origin is far more complicated than many people assume. From cost-of-production tools and data accuracy to trust, financial literacy, and market information flows, the group explores why technology alone cannot solve pricing challenges without addressing the human systems that sit underneath them.This episode asks a critical question for the future of coffee: if data is becoming one of the industry's most valuable assets, how do we build the trust required for people to share it?To join our monthly discussion groups on Patreon, head to https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward and signup to our "Roasted Coffee Tier" for $20 per month.If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. In the next episode, we explore how global geopolitics is impacting food supply chains.***************************************About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain.Website: https://mapitforward.coffeeMailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglistPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]