Students from EAE Business School Barcelona collaborate with Progreso & Beyco to improve sustainable coffee production
Over the past months and as a part of their Final Master Thesis students from the Master in Big Data & Analytics at EAE Business School Barcelona have collaborated with the Netherland- based NGO, Progreso and Beyco, a blockchain coffee trading platform, to conduct and analysis of the overlaps between Progreso´s Colombian coffee plots and deforestation areas under the EU Regulations.
Federica Marra, Senior Product Owner from Beyco emphasized, “It was great to collaborate with the EAE Business School Barcelona and its talented students. It allowed Progreso to experiment on an important topic like geodata, EUDR compliance and the fight against deforestation, and it gave us great insight on how we could move forward in the future.”
The research project examines the overlap between Progreso-supported coffee farming regions and deforestation areas, particularly in Colombia, in response to the EU Regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR). As part of their research, the students have developed a geospatial data analysis framework to identify these overlaps.
Colombia was chosen due to its significant data availability on deforestation and coffee farming, provided by Progreso. This enables thorough analysis and robust conclusions. The framework aims for scalability, helping Progreso proactively assess environmental risks across its network using satellite imagery and geospatial data.
The study focused on the environmental impact of coffee production, specifically its intersection with deforestation hotspots. It aims to support Progreso in enhancing sustainable coffee production practices and complying with EU regulations on deforestation-free products.
Nicolas raimundez, from EAE Barcelona, who completed his Master's Final Project (TFM) on this project, remarked: “Progreso's collaboration with EAE Barcelona highlighted the importance of knowledge-sharing. Together, we tackled environmental challenges through data-driven approaches.”
Also, Fernando Luevano, student from EAE Barcelona and part of this Master's Final Project stated, "The synergy between EAE Business School Barcelona students and Progreso, showcased the power of multidisciplinary teamwork in addressing meaningful causes like deforestation and bringing about scalable solutions."
Towards a sustainable coffee production
The project devedloped by Nicolas Raimundez, Fernando Luevano, Daniel Castro, Daniel Lyons and Sofia Ntalla, EAE Barcelona’s students of the Master in Big Data & Analytics emphasizes sustainable coffee production and geospatial analysis to meet EU deforestation regulations. Developing a scalable framework to identify overlaps between Progreso-supported coffee regions and deforestation areas, it supports Progreso's sustainability goals and sets a precedent for future research. The research underscores the effectiveness of data-driven approaches in addressing environmental challenges and highlights the need for ongoing innovation in data-sharing methods.
The Streamlit dashboard for Huila, Colombia, features a dynamic map aiding EU importers in verifying coffee origins and empowering farmers with conservation insights. It can scale to other regions like Peru, Nicaragua, and Rwanda, enhancing credibility through KPI tracking and proactive risk management. Challenges include data availability, computational resources, and remote internet access. Suggestions include real-time satellite integration, user training, and continuous improvement based on feedback.
