1 month ago
10
Some farmers and processors are raising concerns about data ownership, the exposure of trade secrets, and costs associated with the phased start of a blockchain traceability platform by the commodities regulator, which aims to protect Jamaica’s entry into major markets. They fear that their data could be exposed to private interests as the government leads the push to digitise agricultural exports.
“None of the stakeholders are in favour,” said Jason Sharp, a director at the Jamaica Coffee Exporters Association.
Dr Norman Grant, who currently heads the JCEA, indicated that he planned to issue a release on Thursday to all media. Grant recently completed his doctorate on the Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee sector.
“The cocoa sector, along with chocolate makers, have unanimously rejected the imposition of blockchain,” said Clayton Williams, president of the Jamaica Cocoa Growers Association.
The Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority, JACRA, plans to implement a blockchain-based traceability platform – dubbed JamSave – beginning this year and culminating in full roll-out by early 2026. It is being implemented by Verified & True, which is owned by private firm Agrodise Limited.
The platform will allow Jamaica to comply with pending European Union regulations, which seeks to prevent crop importation from deforested areas around the world. These rules are likely to expand to other major markets worldwide, JACRA indicated.
The system will allow buyers, particularly in the European Union, to scan QR codes on products like coffee, cocoa, ginger, pimento and turmeric to verify origin details, including farm location, producer identity, and production metrics.
The JamSave platform will also include nutmeg and coconut exports.
“We are of the view that it will help with some of the challenges in the industry,” said Acting Director General of JACRA, Wayne Hunter.
The cost structure is known for coffee, about US$3 per 70 kilogramme, according to the platform operators.
However: “The cost structure for cocoa – we are still dealing with that,” Hunter said, adding that the fee would not overburden the producers.
However, not everyone agrees. Some farmers and processors fear that JamSave could compromise data ownership, expose trade secrets, and impose new business costs. Nic Davis, cofounder of OneOne Cacao, expressed discomfort with the level of access granted to Agrodise.
“They will have our acreages, the size of our farms. They will know the farmers we buy from, and so we are not pleased about a private company having access to our information,” said Davis. “This adds another layer which currently isn’t needed,” he said.
The Cocoa Farmers Association has written to Minister of Agriculture Floyd Green and JACRA, submitting technical letters that outline their concerns.
JACRA’s head of legal, Scheree Miller, said the regulator responded to cocoa stakeholders “line by line” to address their concerns.
JACRA argues that the platform is essential for compliance with EU deforestation regulations and will position Jamaica’s premium crops – such as Blue Mountain coffee and high-grade cocoa – for expanded global reach.
“Everyone is doing this now. No [country] has completed it yet,” Pia Bramwell of Agrodise said in an interview with the Financial Gleaner.
“JACRA and the ministry are being proactive in being compliant with international trade regulations,” Bramwell said.
Agrodise was co-founded by Pia Bramwell and Courtney Bramwell, who also operates the Sherwood Coffee estate. Pia worked in the tech sector for years and now teamed with Christopher Reckford, a director in Agrodise, to launch the platform. She defended JamSave’s utility in curbing counterfeiting.
“The consumer can scan a bag of coffee and know its origins”, from bean to bag, she said.
She estimates that counterfeit coffee products cost the industry over US$380 million — a figure many believe dwarfs the monies Jamaica earns through formal coffee exports. JACRA said the coffee sector exported US$47.8 million over 12 months extending from 2023 into 2024. UN data puts the value of Jamaica’s coffee exports at US$26mn in 2024.
Still, some processors worry that overseas buyers could bypass local middlemen and source directly from farmers. JACRA said it doesn’t reject the fears among sector interests but emphasised that only licensed dealers are permitted to export.
In terms of revealing sensitive information, JACRA indicates that processors already access monthly sector data via the coffee cherry report.
Global markets are moving towards strict traceability requirements. “So should we twiddle our thumbs?” Hunter said, while stressing that the risks aren’t just personal, they also impact Jamaica’s national export credibility, especially as countries like China introduce their own verification systems.
Bramwell said Jamaica doesn’t operate in a silo and needs to comply to continue making market gains.
Jamaica’s coffee sector faces several production challenges, including ageing trees, limited bean pickers, climate stress, poor rural roads, and farm theft.
The average coffee farm yields 40 boxes of coffee beans per acre, or half the target of 80 boxes set by JACRA. To address the low output, the regulator is offering farmers higher-yielding plants at no cost in order to repopulate the mountain with coffee trees, the aim being more forest cover and more coffee beans to market to international buyers.
English (US) ·