CacaoTech
Establishing a new value chain through near infrared (NIR) technology, to provide quality valorisation of agricultural produce and transparent data flow from farmer to consumer
The Cacao Tech project represents a groundbreaking approach to transforming the cacao industry through innovative digital technologies that enhance quality assessment, traceability, and waste reduction. By developing this solution through the implementation of Digital Responsibility Goals (DRGs), the project addresses critical trust and transparency challenges in a sector that has traditionally relied on opaque, fragmented processes with limited technological innovation.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Cacao supply chains are fragmented: 75% of production comes from smallholders, cacao beans are mixed and aggregated through multiple intermediaries, and certification rarely goes beyond the cooperative level. This makes it difficult to verify quality and origin, leaving farmers without fair rewards and buyers with inconsistent supply. At the same time, about 80% of the cacao fruit (pulp and husk) is wasted.
Products made from these parts of the fruit remain largely unfamiliar to consumers, who are unaware of how being able to process a traditionally discarded part of the cacao fruit can positively impact the lives of farmers, who have little reliable information about their origin, quality, or sustainability.
Building familiarity and transparency is essential for trust to grow. With new and upcoming regulations such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the industry urgently needs responsible digital tools to ensure transparency and support circular value creation
WHAT THE SOLUTION DOES
The CacaoTech project turned this challenge into an opportunity by showing how accessible, portable digital tools can transform everyday farming and trading practices.
Imagine a farmer in Ecuador harvesting cacao pods. Instead of selling just the beans as anonymous bulk produce, a small handheld scanner can be used to check the pulp and beans for key quality indicators like sugar and fat content. The device is easy to use and works offline, giving them an instant reading everyone trusts, as they know that the data can’t be tampered with.
This information doesn’t stay on the farm. It is shared securely with a value chain partners through a digital platform, where it is combined with data from other farmers.
Buyers, aggregators, farmers cooperatives and individual farmers can all now see, at a glance, which batches are high quality, which are better suited for other uses, and how much produce is available or expected at any given time. This helps to match farmers with the right buyers: a chocolate maker looking for premium beans, a juice company sourcing high-quality pulp, or a trader seeking consistent supply.
For the farmer, this means proof of quality and a stronger negotiating position. They no longer have to accept a flat price for their beans – as they can demonstrate their value. Over time, they can also learn from the data, improving farming practices and increasing returns. For the cooperative and buyers, it brings efficiency and transparency: they can source the right quality at the right time, with less waste and more trust.
At the consumer end, the same data creates a richer story. Through a digital “product passport” accessible via QR code, a bottle of cacao juice from Pacha de Cacao doesn’t just tell you its flavour – it shows where it came from, how it was produced, and what sustainability impact it carries. Consumers can see that a product once considered waste has been transformed into a delicious, nutritious, circular food product.
Although developed for the cacao bean supply chain, this solution has broader potential. The same combination of on-farm quality valorisation, data-sharing, and digital transparency can also be applied to other agricultural produce such as fruits, vegetables, oilseeds and food grains or spices. In this way, CacaoTech contributes not only to solving a problem in the cacao industry but to building a novel and more fair approach to digital food tracking across supply chains.
HOW YOU CAN USE IT
The CacaoTech project outputs are not only proof-of-concept but also immediately useful for different audiences across the food system, each engaging with the tools in distinct ways:
For farmers and cooperatives in the cacao trade: The CacaoTech project piloted handheld NIR quality scanners for quality control at the farm gate and aggregator dashboards with more than 25 farmers and value chain actors in Ecuador. At the aggregator level, partner farm Hacienda San José, tested the integration of quality data into their traceability system, while Pacha de Cacao validated the potential for pulp valorisation and consumer transparency. Together, these demonstrations showed how produce could be sorted by quality, batches differentiated, and farmers can be supported in negotiating fairer prices.
For buyers and manufacturers: CacaoTech developed CacaoTech360, a modular traceability platform that combines batches in lot-level quality data with compliance verification (EUDR, organic certification, land use). By integrating handheld NIR results directly into sourcing records, the system makes both quality and compliance data available in one place. Unlike most tools, it also tracks pulp flows alongside beans, enabling by-product valorisation and offering buyers a fuller picture of the supply chain. Built with REST APIs and FAIR metadata models, the platform is interoperable with ERP and certification systems, preparing companies for upcoming regulatory frameworks such as the EU Deforestation Regulation and the Digital Product Passport.
For product developers and consumers: As part of the CacaoTech360 platform, a consumer-facing transparency interface was piloted with Pacha de Cacao. A QR code printed on the bottle provides end users direct access to verified origin and sustainability information, to demonstrate how a product once considered waste – cacao pulp – can be valorised and marketed as a sustainable beverage. can be valorised and marketed as a sustainable beverage. Farmer identities remain private-by-default, unless they give informed consent to share their data with consumers.
For researchers and policymakers: CacaoTech provides a documented use case of how Digital Responsibility Goals (DRGs) can be applied in practice within a smallholder-dominated value chains across continents. Technical documentation and design notes show precisely how privacy, consent, and decentralised data storage were embedded in the system architecture, while FAIR metadata standards ensure interoperability with future regulatory frameworks such as the Digital Product Passport. In addition, the project website offers onboarding visuals, manuals, and demonstration videos that translate lessons into accessible resources. Together, these outputs provide both a methodological reference for research and a governance model for policymakers designing responsible digital interventions in agri-food systems.
More and more data is being requested from farms to prove the buyer’s compliance. While we support this direction, it’s crucial that data is shared with sensitivity and with purpose. Too often, buyers request data and then if the deal is not going through — where does that information go? Transparency around this is missing, and it deserves more attention, especially now. Cacao-Tech is setting an important example: with their system, farms like ours have more control over how data is used, and how it can generate value not only for the companies, but also for the farmers themselves
DIGITAL RESPONSIBILITY IN PRACTICE
The CacaoTech team applied the DRGs as a design compass throughout the project. Several of the goals were actively embedded in the solution development, shaping both the technical architecture and the governance of data flows. By making digital responsibility part of their working practices as well as their technical design, the team ensured that trust, fairness, and transparency were not abstract principles but built into the tools from the start.
The CacaoTech360 traceability platform is aligned with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, applying role-based access and decentralised storage so that only authorised actors can view or share sensitive data. At the device level, the QCtech360 handheld NIR scanners reinforce integrity by detecting manipulation or malfunction during use. Their calibration models are validated against laboratory benchmarks to ensure prediction accuracy, while robustness checks address bias and concept drift across different cacao varieties and conditions. Automated quality-control warnings flag unreliable scans, preventing compromised data from entering the system. Together, the platform and devices ensure that quality and traceability records remain trustworthy across the value chain.
Privacy is built directly into CacaoTech360, balancing what information is collected, how it is presented, and to whom it is shown. Farmers opt in to data sharing and can modify or withdraw consent at any time, with accounts and related information deleted on request. Unnecessary personal details are not retained in the system, and sensitive identifiers such as farmer details or precise geodata are anonymised. Consumer-facing views are restricted to cooperative or aggregator-level profiles rather than individuals, and even gender data, gathered internally to ensure inclusivity, is never shared outside the platform. Importantly, although Ecuador does not have a GDPR-style regulation, the project applied GDPR-level best practices, recognising from user testing that consent, transparency, and control over personal data are essential to building trust. In this way, privacy by design demonstrates how the DRG framework can be meaningfully applied even in contexts where regulation is absent, setting a higher bar for responsible digital innovation.
Data fairness in CacaoTech360 goes beyond technical standards to ensure both farmers and buyers benefit equitably from trusted information. On the farmer side, ownership and control of data is protected, with quality results providing proof that can secure higher prices and more transparent income streams. Interfaces are designed in local languages with simplified forms, and gender data is collected internally to monitor inclusivity in farmer participation, but never shared outside the system or in consumer-facing views. On the system side, CacaoTech360 applies FAIR metadata standards so that data is findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable across platforms. This ensures compatibility with ERP and certification systems, avoids vendor lock-in, and prepares for upcoming frameworks such as the EU Deforestation Regulation and the Digital Product Passport. In this way, data fairness is not only about protecting farmers but also about creating a level playing field for all actors in the value chain.
We demonstrated how to turn data ethics principles into the a multitude of positive impacts, particularly for those most vulnerable ones beyond the EU borders. We are set to scale up and deploy our novel information systems, digital tools and learnings to enhance trust in food value-chains and in service of those who need us the most
CacaoTech ensures that the algorithms behind its quality assessment tools are designed and tested for fairness, robustness, and independent control. The QCtech360 calibration models were developed using diverse cacao samples and validated against laboratory benchmarks, providing a transparent baseline for accuracy. Robustness checks addressed potential bias and concept drift, confirming that predictions remained reliable across different varieties and conditions. The handheld NIR scans replace subjective tests, producing time-stamped, batch-linked measurements that sync automatically with the CacaoTech360 traceability platform when connectivity is available. This not only cuts manual errors but also creates consistent, comparable quality data across the value chain. The devices also include tampering detection and automated quality-control warnings to prevent unreliable or manipulated data from entering the system. Regular pilot reviews with farmers and cooperatives ensured that results were not only technically accurate but also socially fair and inclusive. In this way, the project demonstrated multiple ways to embed algorithmic trustworthiness directly into a digital food supply solution.
Transparency was treated as a guiding principle across all levels of the CacaoTech system. The CacaoTech360 platform makes batch-level data visible, covering not only beans but also pulp and husk flows to support circular value creation. Farmers see their own scan results immediately, cooperatives and buyers access dashboards combining quality and compliance information, and consumers interact with a QR code on product packaging that links to verified origin and sustainability data.
Transparency is not only one-directional: feedback mechanisms such as advisory boards, focus groups, and farmer training sessions created interactive dialogue around how results were generated and used. Accountability is reinforced through validation of QCtech360 calibration models against laboratory benchmarks, and through the public release of documentation, manuals, and demonstration materials in the DRG4FOOD Toolbox.
While the tools themselves are positioned for commercialisation under a licensing model, the architecture is built on open standards and aligned with the open-source spirit of the funding call. By combining visibility of data flows with verifiable methods and open communication, the project demonstrates how transparency can be made verifiable and accountable for farmers, buyers, consumers, and other stakeholders – without compromising privacy or trade secrets.
CONTRIBUTION TO THE TOOLBOX
The CacaoTech project has compiled a comprehensive set of methodological resources, technical documentation, and video demonstrations. These can be referenced directly from the CacaoTech project website CacaoTech project website or via the specific resource links provided below:
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QCtech360 quality control module and calibration models
Validated against laboratory benchmarks, demonstrating how handheld NIR scans can replace subjective, costly and lengthy laboratory tests with consistent, robust quality data. Documentation and lessons learned from the calibration and validation process are available:
Documentation: Quality Control module
Documentation: Dataset
Model runner GitHub: QCtech360 repository -
CacaoTech360 traceability platform
A modular system combining quality and compliance data, built with REST APIs and FAIR metadata standards to ensure interoperability. Manuals, onboarding visuals, and demo videos are being published; with code release and licensing under development as the platform moves toward commercialisation.
Documentation: Tracking and Tracing module
Documentation: Value Chain AnalysisTwo video presentations provide a more detailed demonstration of the QCTech360 solution:
Video: The CacaoTech Project – QCTech360
Video: QCtech360 – Quality Control at farm gate -
Transparency interface
(consumer demonstration) – piloted with Pacha de Cacao, illustrating how QR-linked transparency can inform consumers while protecting farmer privacy. The demonstrator is accessible as part of the Toolbox’s showcase of user-facing solutions.
Documentation: Transparent communication with consumers
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Design and governance
Detailed notes on how Digital Responsibility Goals (DRGs) were applied in practice, including privacy-by-design, trusted algorithms, and transparency measures. These documents provide a methodological reference for future projects.
Documentation: Communicating DRGs to build trust
IMPACT AND OUTLOOK
Cacao is often called an ‘orphan crop’ because for hundreds of years, not much has changed in how beans are harvested and fermented – everything is still done manually. The outcomes of our project are really a big step forward into making the supply chain less labour intensive, more efficient and more transparent, which will help farms to become more economical stable
The CacaoTech project has demonstrated tangible benefits for smallholders, cooperatives, and buyers. With pilots in Ecuador that enabled more than 25 farmers and value chain actors to use the handheld NIR devices and cooperative dashboards, generating batch-level quality data that strengthened trust in transactions. The San José cooperative in Ecuador tested traceability integration, while Pacha de Cacao in the Netherlands validated the potential of pulp valorisation and consumer-facing transparency. Together, these activities showed how digital responsibility can translate into higher farmer income, improved resource use, and consumer confidence in sustainable products.
Looking forward, the project team is preparing a roadmap to extend the solution across Latin America, with longer-term expansion to European, US, and African markets. The architecture is designed to be transferable to other crops beyond cacao, such as peanuts or tropical fruits, where quality differentiation and by-product valorisation face similar challenges. By aligning with FAIR standards and upcoming EU regulations such as the Deforestation Regulation and Digital Product Passport, the tools are positioned to help food system actors meet compliance requirements while improving fairness and transparency.
In this way, the CacaoTech initiative contributes not only to advancing digital traceability in cacao but also to the broader vision of a more circular and trustworthy food system. Its early results provide a foundation for scaling responsible digital tools that empower farmers, support fair trade, and enable consumers to make informed, sustainable choices.
QUICK FACTS
- Funding
- DRG4FOOD Open Call #2
- Use case
- Digital Food Tracking
- Partners
- Start date
- Nov 2024
- End date
- Sep 2025
- Resources