Cisco Enhances Coffee Farming in Tanzania Using the IoT

Cisco has partnered with the ConSenso Project, a coalition of Tanzanian coffee farmers, Italian plant scientists from PNAT, and researchers from the Accademia del Caffè Espresso, to use Internet of Things (IoT) to help Tanzanian coffee growers boost yields and operate more sustainably amid climate change challenges. 65 solar-powered IoT sensors have been installed at the Tunasikia Farm in Utengule, Tanzania, capturing data about soil, sun, climate, carbon capture, insects, and electrical energy fields of the plants. The data is securely transmitted over long distances to researchers in Florence, Italy, using Cisco’s LoRaWAN, cloud, LTE, and collaboration solutions.

The IoT data will enable farmers to optimize irrigation and only water when necessary, preserving precious water resources. The project is not only about improving yields but also studying coffee’s potential for carbon sequestration. Initial estimates look promising, but the researchers want to analyze three full growing seasons before making firm conclusions about coffee’s carbon capture capabilities. The first data insights will be shared in June after assimilation.

Cisco’s Director of Sustainable Solutions for EMEA, Angelo Fienga, is excited about the deployment of AI to extract further insights from the huge troves of IoT data, stating that AI, if properly trained, can extract insights from that data in ways that humans cannot.

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