Sprint 5: FOLIA's milestone achievements, apps and an invitation to ChocoShow 2024

A blog by Carlos Pedraza, a Frontier Tech Implementing Partner and Harry Sharp, Innovation Coach at the Frontier Tech Hub.

Part of our pilot ‘Integrating satellite and ground big data to improve cocoa production’

In our previous blog, we discussed technical challenges associated with plotting farm locations and boundaries and our innovative approach to developing a digital architecture to support FOLIA. 

Since then, we’ve achieved some major milestones, including the launch of FOLIA's mobile and web app, and an exclusive invitation to present our solution to key stakeholders at the prestigious ChocoShow 2024, thanks to the National Federation of Cacao Growers (FEDECACAO).

Mobile App: Empowering Cacao Producers 

The mobile app is an important part of our solution that simplifies the mapping of cacao farm boundaries. We decided to partner with GALAPP, an existing mobile application that is widely adopted in the agricultural sector. This helped us avoid incurring significant cost developing an app from scratch. Together, we’ve developed and tested a custom version of the GALAPP app that seamlessly integrates with FOLIA.

It has an innovative polygon surveying functionality which enables cacao producers and technical assistance teams to walk the boundaries of their farms whilst capturing coordinate data. This can be done offline, reducing dependency on mobile signals. Once connectivity is restored, the app uploads the data to FOLIA, where farm coordinates are displayed as polygons on a map. The system then utilizes satellite data to generate deforestation risk assessments and reports for each farm. Cocoa traders can use these reports to provide evidence, in line with regulatory requirements, that their cocoa is not sourced from farms that contribute to deforestation. 

During this sprint, we tested the mobile app in the field with 5 existing GALAPP users who successfully surveyed and mapped 5 farm boundaries. This followed classroom-based training to explain the implications of EUDR regulations and the value of FOLIA, and field training to enable producers to learn how to use the app to survey their property boundaries. We intended to test the app with several additional producers, but a regional shutdown of mobile connectivity prevented us from making contact. 

Additionally, we issued two feedback surveys to participants. The first evaluated participant’s understanding of EUDR regulations and the value of FOLIA. The second evaluated the user experience for participants when surveying their property boundaries.

Web App: Tracking and Reviewing Deforestation Risks

Complementing the mobile app, FOLIA's web app plays a pivotal role in tracking and reviewing deforestation risks across all a trader/agent’s farms. It enables agents, as users of the web app, to efficiently monitor and analyze deforestation risk assessments, ensuring a comprehensive overview of the entire value chain. This integration enhances transparency and compliance, marking a significant step towards a zero-deforestation-ready cacao industry.
 

FOLIA is designed to interact with multiple actors across the supply chain. At producer level, FOLIA integrates GALAPP to create the producer’s profile and farm polygon. The following picture shows how DreamGIS staff trained producers in the Meta department of Colombia during this pilot. 

After the farm polygon has been generated, either from a field survey or existing coordinate data, then FOLIA assesses the deforestation risk by integrating satellite imagery and using advanced automated analytical procedures with expert quality control. This provides extremely high accuracy (more than 95%) to ensure agents can demonstrate they are exporting zero-deforestation cacao to the European and UK markets without legal and reputational risk. The following picture shows farm polygons on the FOLIA application where agents can access deforestation risk reports associated with their farms. 

Invitation to ChocoShow 2023: A Platform for FOLIA's Pre-launch Presentation

In November 2023, our team was invited to showcase FOLIA and its innovations at the 2023 ChocoShow in Bogotá, Colombia. This invitation, extended by the Colombian Cacao Federation (FEDECACAO), recognizes FOLIA's potential impact within the cacao industry. The ChocoShow is a renowned event that brings together key stakeholders in the chocolate and cacao sector, providing a platform to unveil FOLIA's advancements and garner support from industry leaders and influencers. In addition, our team had the opportunity to discuss forthcoming regulations and solutions for the industry's challenges.  

Engaging with stakeholders ranging from producers to private companies and the public sector, we seized the opportunity to have direct conversations with these actors. As a result, we were able to arrange several follow-up meetings with companies and individuals interested in delving deeper into FOLIA. 

Javier Sabogal, Director of Forests and Land Use Program at the British Embassy in Colombia, introducing FOLIA during the 2023 Chocoshow 

Looking Ahead: Pioneering the Future with FOLIA 

Our focus is on delivering the first operational version of FOLIA with deforestation risk assessment functionality. This version will empower buyers with key data and reporting capabilities related to the cacao producers in their supply chain, promoting transparency and sustainability. 

Excitingly, we will take FOLIA from the realm of the cloud and satellites to the cacao farms themselves. The upcoming phase involves further field training and testing with additional producers and technical field assistants to validate the feasibility of using the mobile app for collecting cacao farm boundaries. We expect to train around 10 producers during this field trip and collect a minimum of 6 producer’s farm polygons in the Meta region of Colombia. We have chosen this region because it’s a region in which CataExport works with producers and purchases their cacao.  

This on-the-ground approach reinforces FOLIA's commitment to sustainability and ethics, protecting rainforests while enabling smallholder cacao producers to thrive. Additionally, we are planning to present details of FOLIA’s deforestation risk analysis to an EUDR expert consultant to assess FOLIA’s ability to fulfil the regulation requirements. 

In conclusion, FOLIA's recent achievements mark significant progress in its mission to reshape the cacao value chain. The combination of cutting-edge technology, user-friendly applications, and industry recognition positions FOLIA as an important solution in the pursuit of a more sustainable and transparent cacao industry. 

If you’d like to discuss this pilot or have any questions please contact:

🌎 Earth Big Data: carlos@earthbigdata.com 

⚡Frontier Tech Hub: harry@hellobrink.co

🧑‍💻 You can also learn about our pilot on the Frontier Tech Hub website, where you’ll find an interview with our Pioneer, Pedro Castro and other blogs from the pilot.