CropConex Leads E-Commerce Innovation In Ethiopia
This article was adapted from a press release on Thursday, January 5th, 2023 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
CropConex is a global e-commerce company bringing the coffee trade online, optimizing efficiency and profitability through a connected digital ecosystem. The platform connects previously siloed suppliers, buyers, and logistics providers on an integrated supply chain management and electronic trading platform.?
More than a marketplace matching green coffee buyers with coffee suppliers, CropConex offers a whole suite of digital tools to facilitate movement across the entire coffee supply chain: inventory, sample analysis, logistics, storage, contracts management, order fulfillment, and payments. The objective of the CropConex platform is to create more sustainable market systems through e-commerce strategies.
In 2017, the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority introduced policy reform, creating new opportunities for coffee suppliers to sell their coffee directly to buyers. These coffee trading reforms were intended to motivate the production of quality coffee through the higher price offered to suppliers and ensure the traceability of specialty coffee sold outside of the Ethiopian Commodities Exchange (ECX).?
CropConex empowers this new, open market by connecting buyers and sellers directly on the platform. The CropConex software system helps coffee producers organize, promote, and sell coffee lots to local and international buyers through the innovative online market system.?
Our primary mission is to unlock economic opportunity across the value chain by breaking down barriers to trade. With this goal in mind, we are working with everyone across the value chain on our e-commerce platform. We do not buy or sell the stock ourselves, instead we facilitate trade by directly connecting buyers and sellers online.
- Brianna Dickey, Owner of CropConex
In July 2022, this San Francisco-based company intended to open a branch office in Addis Ababa to establish a local presence and develop strong relationships with local customers. Despite a growing interest in the digital economy and the advances in the local technical landscape, e-commerce platform operation was not a category recognized by the Ethiopian Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration and was not an available classification for businesses to operate in. The proclamation for digital commerce was defined a few years ago by the regulators but had not been implemented in the private sector.?
After five months of collaboration with the Ethiopian Investment Commission's Office, the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration and the Coffee and Tea Authority, CropConex was able to closely work to finalize the legal incorporation of e-commerce categories into the business registration codes. On November 11, 2022 CropConex was licensed as the first E-Commerce Platform Operator business in the nation.
Now, CropConex is paving the way to demonstrate how e-commerce can work in Ethiopia. The commitment taken to coordinate among the various government bodies to realize the legal existence of electronic commerce platform operators will continue as we ensure smooth e-commerce operations in harmony with the international logistics, payment and trade documents exchange.?
“We will learn a lot through the implementation of our initiative solutions and share it with fellow partners and various actors in Ethiopia's digital transformation process so as to contribute to building Ethiopia's Digital Economy. We are grateful for the cross-institutional collaboration and support to see these efforts through and are excited to continue to strengthen and develop strong partners with the public sector to drive value across the supply chain.”
- Brianna Dickey
To explore the coffee and services available on the platform, visit cropconex.com.
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2 年Congratulations, let us know how we can assist. We are courier & logistic services provider 27 years in business. Have been a major player in handling both coffee samples and air freight forwarder on behalf of local coffee exporters and international traders. Please visit our website www.amixpress.com Over 20 years ago our founder launched the 1st ecommerce site www.ethiomarket.com the gave equal opportunity for all in Ethiopia to market their products and bring Ethiopia to the world. That was given an award by united nation in South Africa. Let's work together for a fair and better tomorrow.
Congrats Brianna and the CropConex team!