In the coffee industry, small producers and Indigenous communities face a paradox: while their work fuels a global market worth over $100 billion, many receive less than 10% of the final sale price. The root of this injustice lies not only in middlemen but in a technological system designed to keep control in the hands of large corporations. This article explores how technological sovereignty could be the key to breaking the cycle of dependency and exploitation.
1. The Trap of Corporate Platforms
The dominant digital tools (like coffee marketplaces or pricing apps) are controlled by companies that prioritize profit over fairness:
Opaque algorithms: These set prices without considering the real cost of production, perpetuating poverty-level wages.
Forced dependence: Platforms like Amazon or Shopify charge high fees and can suspend accounts without warning, cutting producers off from their markets.
Data extraction: Multinational companies use information about harvests and sales for their own benefit, without sharing profits with those who generate the data.
Example: In 2023, a cooperative in Chiapas lost 40% of its income when a platform changed its visibility algorithm without notice.
2. Technological Sovereignty: Tools for Autonomy
The solution lies in coffee growers controlling their own digital tools:
Self-managed e-commerce: Open-source platforms, no middlemen, where producers set prices and connect directly with ethical consumers.
Community mapping apps: To defend Indigenous lands from land grabs, using open-source tech (like FarmOS).
Data cooperatives: Collective databases on harvests and climate, protected by and for the communities.
3. The Risks of Not Acting
Without technological sovereignty, coffee growers face:
Land loss: Without tools to document ownership, communities are vulnerable to eviction.
Corporate greenwashing: “Ethical” brands use producers’ stories without sharing profits, thanks to exploitative digital contracts.
Climate and crisis: Without access to local climate data, farmers can’t adapt to droughts or pests.
Technological Sovereignty Is Not a Luxury — It’s a Right
In a world where coffee is a symbol of modern colonialism, democratizing technology is the first step toward economic justice. As consumers, programmers, or activists, we all have a role to play in this harvest for change.
At A Coffee & A Story, we offer web creation and improvement services for coffee growers.
If you’re a coffee grower or know one who could benefit from this service, don’t hesitate to get in touch.