Our coffee-hunter and head-of-coffee Tyler recently returned from Central America where she visited our producers in Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama and headed to the Producer & Roaster Forum, organised by Perfect Daily Grind.

It was here she attended the world-first blockchain coffee auction, which took place at Anacafé’s headquarters in Guatemala City. Blockchain technology is increasingly being used to improve traceability and transparency – and here at The Little Marionette, we really dig that. Yave, who provides a secure online framework for the coffee industry to share ledgers and transactions, hosted the event, and in partnership with Anacafé and Guatemalan Coffees, brought top scoring coffees to new markets around the world.

For some producers, the auction was their first – with entries of smaller lot sizes and a variety of processing methods. The traceability of the lots, the transparency and the connected commerce at the retail end that the Yave platform enables attracted buyers from around the world.

Why is this all such a big deal? Because blockchain has the potential to completely democratise and transform the coffee industry with new levels of transparency. For the first time, farmers, traders, roasters, and consumers can be fully aware of their coffee’s journey – and that’s important to us. Everyone is better informed, more knowledgeable about every step of the process, and can reap the rewards of a truly end-to-end transparent coffee experience. Consumers can even scan a digital ID as they drink to see the coffee’s journey from the farm to their cup.

We were lucky enough to walk away with a delicious micro-lot from producer Alfonso Anzueto Sandoval and his farm, Calahute Alto, who have been producing since 1952. For Alfonso, participating in a blockchain auction means he can really understand the quality of his product, implement new systems for quality control as his farm grows, and see where they compare in the market. What Alfonso loves about coffee? “Even though I enjoy growing different varietals, creating relationships long-term is most important to me.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. We can’t wait to share it with you later this year and are extremely proud to be working with Yave to improve the lives of coffee producers, transform the coffee industry and better educate consumers.