Sustaining Smallholder Farmers for
the Good of the Supply Chain

We strongly believe that supporting smallholder farmers is critical to the well being and growth of many industries. Tackling traceability solves lingering questions of product quality and origination, which enables consumers to connect with growers of their favorite products. It also empowers responsible farmers to be more fairly compensated and generates benefits across the entire ecosystem.

working together as one

Farmer Connect is a fully independent entity and represents a collaborative, industry-wide approach to tackling the industry’s most pressing challenge. It’s initiator is Sucafina, a multinational coffee merchant, who believes this is a tool that should be built by the entire ecosystem. Farmer Connect will operate completely autonomously with its own staff, a diversified Board of Directors, shareholders comprised of the ecosystem participants and a strong Advisory Committee that comes from various fields of expertise.

The entire ecosystem, including farmers, traders, roasters, manufacturers, distributors, competitors and more are invited to shape Farmer Connect by becoming shareholders or project advisors. The governance structure of Farmer Connect will continue to evolve as additional members join to ensure fair industry representation.

Meet the team

DJ BODDEN

chief operating officer

DJ Bodden is the COO, with broad responsibilities ranging from marketing to setting procedures and policies for the company. DJ spent his early career as a military helicopter pilot, then six years working for a supply chain specialist and merchant in the coffee industry...

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Fabian Portmann

chief technology officer

Fabian Portmann is the CTO, responsible for shaping Farmer Connect’s technology strategy as well as looking after the technical aspects of the product development. Fabian completed his PhD in mathematics at KTH in Stockholm and then moved on to join IBM Switzerland…

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DIANA KALIFF

business development manager

Diana Kaliff is Business Development Manager, connecting client needs with emerging technologies. She has studied Industrial Engineering and Management and completed her MSc at Stockholm Resilience Centre with a one-year thesis on blockchain and sustainability…

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advisory board

Ric Rhinehart

Executive Director Emeritus of the Specialty Coffee Association

Ric Rhinehart is currently serving as the Executive Director Emeritus of the Specialty Coffee Association. Mr. Rhinehart has for the previous decade led the organization as Executive Director and CEO, and over the past 30 years held executive positions in several coffee & tea firms...

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Mr. Rhinehart has designed, developed, and produced a wide range of both tea and coffee products and is co-author of Tea Basics a primer on premium tea, published by John Wiley & Sons in 1998. He was a founding member of the American Premium Tea Institute, where he served on the Board of Directors and as President, and a board member and officer at the Specialty Coffee Association of America. Mr. Rhinehart has also served as Chair of the Private Sector Consultative Board of the International Coffee Organization, as a Trustee for the Coffee Quality Institute, as a Director for World Coffee Research, and as a Director for World Coffee Events.

Mauricio Cárdenas

MINISTER OF FINANCE AND PUBLIC CREDIT IN COLOMBIA

Mauricio Cárdenas was Minister of Finance and Public Credit in Colombia from 2012 to 2018, serving the administration of President Juan Manuel Santos, with whom he also served as Energy and Mines Minister 2011-2012. Prior to this, he was a Senior Fellow and Director of the Latin America Initiative at the Brookings Institution...