In the recently concluded World Food Expo Manila, Henry and Sons President and CEO Michael Harris Conlin launched croptomarket.com—a digital transparency platform that displays a detailed information of coffee from the farmers to the retail market. During his presentation in the forum “A Taste of the Cordillera” last August 9, Conlin explains how customers can access the transparency report on every can of coffee purchased from Henry and Sons.
By scanning the QR code on the can, the website will appear on the screen that shows information about the farmer where the coffee cherries were purchased, and the process of roasting and manufacturing of the coffee beans until it reaches its target consumers. It also reveals the breakdown of cost of the product—from crop to market.
In partnership with the Saddle Hartwell Lumbag Coffee Growers Association through the Foundation for Sustainable Coffee Excellence, Henry and Sons also introduced the Nano Lots coffee series featuring the backyard farmers from Itogon, Benguet namely Lolita, Cayamdas, Hilda, and Rita. These coffee cans are the pioneer products to utilize the platform. The Foundation for Sustainable Coffee Excellence is the advocacy arm of Henry and Sons geared to address the major issues in the coffee farming industry.
Its connection to the farmers began when the foundation provided an aid to the residents of Itogon, Benguet after typhoon Ompong struck the town in 2018. Mining, which used to be the community’s main source of livelihood, greatly contributed to the landslide that left the town devastated. Learning this, the foundation started to work with the farmers to help their town transform into a fully sustainable coffee growing community. Conlin, who is also a social entrepreneur, aims to demonstrate transparency, accountability and trust throughout the agricultural value chain and to positively impact the Philippine agricultural sector through the new platform.
“Now, the consumers can truly see how their hard-earned money helps the entire value chain,” Conlin states. The featured coffees will be available at Rustan’s Department Store, The Giving Café, and at Henry and Sons’ e-commerce website TheVault.ph.
