Cacao-Tech: The Digital Revolution in the Cocoa Industry

Cacao-Tech is a game-changing project in the cocoa industry. It brings digital technology where traditional practices have dominated for centuries and shows that innovation can mean not only greater efficiency, but also fairer trade, less waste and greater trust between farmers and consumers.

Cocoa is the basis for the production of chocolate, and the global market for this commodity is expected to reach a value of 15.5 billion dollars by 2031. Yet the sector remains marred by lack of transparency, complex trade chains and waste. Up to 90% of cocoa production comes from smallholder farmers and passes through a network of middlemen, complicating traceability and reducing farmers' ability to achieve fair prices. In addition, only one fifth of the fruit - cocoa beans - is used. The skins and pulp end up as waste, although they could be used to make drinks or organic fertilizers. The situation is also affected by the new EUDR regulation, which requires clear documentation of origin and growing conditions.

Cocoa is a fruit and 80% of the cocoa bean is wasted.

It is precisely these problems that Cacao-Tech solves. The project uses portable infrared scanners connected to artificial intelligence that can evaluate the quality of both cocoa beans and pulp within minutes. This enables a fairer evaluation of the production directly at the point of collection and limits losses caused by the mixing of low-quality fruits. At the same time, a system is being introduced that tracks the movement and origin of the raw material throughout the value chain – from the farmer to the final consumer. The transparent database stores information about harvest time, location and variety and opens the way to a fairer distribution of value.

The pods are opened by hand and the beans with the pulp are removed.

But the project is not just about technology. A key role is played by digital responsibility, i.e. ensuring that technology serves people and respects their rights. Cacao-Tech makes sure that farmers have full control over their data, that consents are not a one-time formality but an ongoing process, and that cyber security is a matter of course. Data is becoming a common resource that benefits small producers as well, not just large corporations. In addition, algorithms are continuously tested and adapted to local conditions to reflect reality and eliminate errors.

Implementation in Ecuador showed that it is not enough to transfer the European model. In an environment where digital literacy is lower and cultural traditions are different, it is necessary to proceed sensitively, respect local customs and offer simple and user-friendly solutions. "Farmers need to be convinced that the technology brings them a tangible benefit, not just another bureaucracy," says the Cacao-Tech team. And that's exactly what they're doing - immediate benefits in the form of fairer prices or the use of waste are visible and encourage the willingness to get involved.

Quality plays a key role in the tracking and tracing application being developed. Here, the team calibrates instruments for measuring important pulp parameters. At every point in the process, it is important that stakeholders understand what data is being generated, how it is being used and what their rights are to the data.

Although the project focuses on cocoa, its potential extends much further. The technology is already being tested with peanuts in India or avocados in the Netherlands, and shows a perspective for other crops – coffee, tomatoes or cereals. Thanks to the open sharing of technologies within the DRG4FOOD Toolbox, innovations can spread throughout the food system.

Behind the project is an all-female consortium made up of the Department of Information Technologies PEF ČZU in Prague, the Ecuadorian company Pacha de Cacao and the Dutch Wageningen Research. Bringing together technology experts, experts in the cocoa chain and experts in sustainable food systems proves that even traditional industries can be transformed with modern means. Cacao-Tech is not just about cocoa – it is a demonstration of how digital responsibility can change the future of food.