TELECENTRES , BRIDGES TO AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE CARIBBEAN

TELECENTRES, BRIDGES TO TELECENTRES, BRIDGES TO AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE CARIBBEANDEVELOPMENT IN THE CARIBBEAN

Kurt JEAN-CHARLES ([email protected])

Co Founder of SOLUTIONS S.A.Project Manager for CAP ROUJ NIMERIK

SANTO-DOMINGO 28th -29th April 2011

“HAITI -CAP ROUGE NIMERIK” PROJECT

ContentsContents

Project Background and PartnersProject Background and Partners

Project DescriptionProject Description

The case for ICT in rural areaThe case for ICT in rural area

Real Challenges – lessons Real Challenges – lessons

CONCERNS AND ORIGINAL PARTNERSCONCERNS AND ORIGINAL PARTNERS

« MBDS Haïti» Joint ICT Master « MBDS Haïti» Joint ICT Master Program supported by University Program supported by University of Nice and Haïti’s State of Nice and Haïti’s State University.University.

What can we prototype as ICT What can we prototype as ICT applications aimed at rural applications aimed at rural areas ?areas ?

French company specialized in French company specialized in coffee processing and coffee processing and marketing. Number One Fair marketing. Number One Fair Trade coffee importer for Trade coffee importer for Europe in Haiti.Europe in Haiti.

How can we improve our coffee How can we improve our coffee business with Haiti and make business with Haiti and make an impact on small producer’s an impact on small producer’s communities ?communities ?

National federation of coffee farmers with more than 20 National federation of coffee farmers with more than 20 000 members throughout the country. The FACN owns 000 members throughout the country. The FACN owns the famous «haitian blue» coffee labelthe famous «haitian blue» coffee label

How can we improve farmers capacity and results and How can we improve farmers capacity and results and show impact from growing coffee on our communities?show impact from growing coffee on our communities?

« Cap Rouge  NIMERIK »« Cap Rouge  NIMERIK » Project ObjectivesProject Objectives

Why Coffee??

Industrial and cultural tradition in rural and urban area(coffee is grown in every rural village even if it is for local consumers)

Impact on environment (coffee plants need shade and tree to grow and give fruits)

Quality and market demand

« Cap Rouge  NIMERIK »« Cap Rouge  NIMERIK » Project ObjectivesProject Objectives

StrenghtsStrenghts Reputation of Haitian Coffee ( Haitian Reputation of Haitian Coffee ( Haitian

Bleue) (listed in the top 10 world Bleue) (listed in the top 10 world reknown gourmet coffee).reknown gourmet coffee).

Existing structure of small producers Existing structure of small producers community familiar with Fair Trade community familiar with Fair Trade concepts.concepts.

WeaknessesWeaknesses Inefficient infrastructure, Inefficient infrastructure,

production capacity and production capacity and seriously low volumes and seriously low volumes and capitals.capitals.

Poor level of education at the Poor level of education at the rural levelrural level

Define and automate Traceability processes “from the coffee tree to the consumer’s cup “

Provide connectivity between the rural communities to share data on their operations and make decision on a real time basis

Provide information as an added value to the coffee brand in an innovative but intuitive way

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT

““Cap rouge Numerik”Cap rouge Numerik”Project DescriptionProject Description

• Targeted usersTargeted users• Small coffee producers communities

• Provide technology efficient traceability tools to reinforce their production processes.

• Create added value by linking the product to the grower and his community story

• Industrial Production managers

• Provide an aggregated dashboard of production at the country level with all communities using the system

• Allow smarter resources allocation (cash flow and industrial batch planning)

• Provide a portal to importers to access traceability data and communities background information on the products to integrate with their own systems and processes

• Final Consumer of packaged products

• Provide access to traceability (from the tree to the cup) information and updated communities background from the package using NFC technologies or web portals

One of the coffee processing plantOne of the coffee processing plant

Système central

Tag RFID

transport Entrepôt

Portique lecteur RFID

PDA ou téléphone

communicant, lecteur RFID

Voit l’état des stocks

Gestionnaire de la coopérative

Pays

Contrôleur

1

2

3

4

5

Simplified sketch of the systemSimplified sketch of the system

Système central

Entrepôt

Haïti

France

Container

transporteur

module de suivi du container

Contrôleur

Container

Responsable qualité5

1

2 4

3

Simplified sketch of the system (II)Simplified sketch of the system (II)

Technical Requirements for the projectTechnical Requirements for the project

RFID enabled mobile devices !!!?

Internet Connectivity in rural and remote area!!!

Electricity ! Computers ?

Technology Proof traceability processes

RFID Tag

Implementation challengesImplementation challenges

The initial pilot location: 3 hours with a 4x4 … then 3 hours walk …

Cost of Electricity and Connectivity

Maintenance concerns

Accessibility for our students and teachers…

We needed more funding and other partners

Making it to implementation …Making it to implementation …1. Choose another pilot location accessible (most of the time)

by car (4x4 of course)

2. Find new partners:1. ALCATEL-LUCENT providing its latest WIMAX rev-D

platform2. Voila, a local GSM Operator providing the broadband

connection through the Wimax equipments and building a GSM site in a remote area

3. Find Funds from different stakeholders to finance1. Solar powered electrical capacity2. A community center with access to computers and

broadband internet

……with positive side effectswith positive side effects1. Reuse the broadband access to provide internet connection to the local schools2. Create specific training activities for students and for teachers3. Create a community center with access to 2 precious resources (electricity and

connectivity)4. Create a sustainable model and a consistent lab for prototyping solutions for

the rural needs

……and new ambitionsand new ambitions1. Replicate the model at the country level

2. Adapt the traceability model to any agro industry requirements by making it flexible and product agnostic

3. Help rural communities produce their own content on their web sites

4. Combine rural community radio with internet access to test new community services like radio show to read non sensitive and urgent emails from family in the diaspora

5. Develop new applications (mobile phone target) aimed at the rural needs in Haiti

Launch project, Cap Rouge, Launch project, Cap Rouge, Haïti 2008Haïti 2008

From 2008 to 2011From 2008 to 20111. Impact of climate disasters (hurricane season of 2008) and

production crisis for coffee

2. Content and Accessibility for the small farmers and the community

3. Reaching sustainability for the facility

4. ReActivate the brand for 2012 with Malongo

5. Scale up to other vectors and create clusters involving different production sectors to improve economic and social resilience

Thank youThank you