Advanced Coffee Crop Optimisation for Rural Development 

Coffee represents a key source of livelihood for up to 25 million farming households in developing countries, where production amounts to 80% of world output. The UKSA-backed ACCORD aims to improve the management of crops by providing geo-targeted information to coffee farmers in Rwanda and Kenya.

Source: FAO

ACCORD provides proactive, geo-targeted crop management information to improve the livelihoods and incomes of smallholder coffee farmers in Rwanda and Kenya. The crop management advice, which is delivered via a mobile app, is derived from satellite Earth observation (EO) imagery with highly localised and accurate weather data and pest and disease alert models. ACCORD uses a combination of optical satellites, such as Sentinel and the DMC3/TripleSat constellation, to ensure the correct resolution of data is being acquired and balanced with cost-effectiveness. The information provided by ACCORD helps to make significant improvements to coffee crop quality and yield, as automated pest and disease warnings enable farmers to take both preventative measures and more accurate reactive measures when dealing with coffee pests and diseases. These improvements in crop management will help to secure higher prices allowing farmers to achieve higher incomes and improve the quality of life for their families.