Novel Mobile Model For Post-Harvest Coffee Processing System

"Farmers Succeed When Farming is Profitable"Our proposal focuses on improving the profitability of small and mid-sized farms by helping them develop High-Value Agricultural Products (HVAP). Specifically, we aim to assist with the production of specialty coffee, which can sell for hundreds to thousands of dollars per pound under the right conditions.Waimea Coffee Farm LLC (WCF) has developed a processing system called the Specialty Coffee Optimal Results Environment (SCORE). Thesystem is mobile, designed to reach remote farms, it provides a controlled environment (balanced heating and cooling) to enhance coffee quality to specialty-grade levels, increasing its economic value for Hawai'i farmers. WCF's proof-of-concept system improved its coffee's score by 4.25 points, enabling it to sell green coffee beans wholesale for $100 per pound. The farm was one of only three Hawai'i coffee farms selected to showcase products at the Hawai'i Department of Agriculture booth in the USA Pavilion during Gulfood 2023, the world's largest food expo in Dubai, UAE. WCF's Hawaiian Blue Volcanic Coffee® received an overwhelming reception, with buyers asking how many tons they could purchase at $100 per pound. Once the proposed processing system is fully implemented, WCF expects to achieve even higher Specialty Coffee Scores, leading to increased wholesale prices.The primary technical challenge facing Hawai'i coffee farmers and producers is maintaining precise control of humidity, temperature, and microbial activity during the fermentation and drying stages of coffee processing. Even small fluctuations during these stages can significantly impact a coffee's score, directly affecting its market price. Fermenting and drying coffee outdoors, exposed to changing weather, produces irregular and inconsistent coffee quality. By creating a precisely controlled and stable environment throughout the fermentation (averaging 12 to 72 hours depending on the varietal) and drying (averaging 3 to 5 weeks depending on the varietal) periods, we can optimize flavor development and increase market value.Over the last decade, coffee producers worldwide have tested various processing methods inspired by the success of Lamastus Family Estates. Their Gesha variety coffee scored an impressive 95.5 out of 100 and sold for a record-breaking $6,034.00 per pound wholesale.With 75% of Hawai'i's Kona coffee farmers selling their harvested cherries for an average of $2.00 per pound, learning improved methods and techniques to process coffee and enhance flavor would significantly benefit small, independent farmers by increasing their income and profitability.This approach also applies to U.S. coffee farmers in California, Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa, and more broadly to small, independent coffee farmers globally.