**A. [Introduction]{.underline}**

The world coffee market has changed considerably in the past five years
due to structural changes in demand, and increased coffee production in
Brazil and Vietnam. Coffee prices dropped to their lowest levels in 30
years during 2000/2001 as a result of worldwide oversupply. The crisis
is most apparent in Central America and the Dominican Republic, where
prices at the farm level have fallen below the cost of production for
most coffee producers, causing serious economic hardship.

USAID has responded to this situation by designing a program to help the
Central American countries and the Dominican Republic compete in the
upscale segments of the coffee market. The comparative advantage of
Central America and the Dominican Republic is in producing high quality
coffee. The region's competitive advantage lies in the agro-ecological
conditions (altitude, micro-climates and soil) that give it the
potential to improve quality and/or shift production toward quality
coffees. Other advantages include the presence of bourbon variety
coffee, the "washed coffee" industrial process, a tradition of producing
coffee, processing capacity, and an abundance of labor. Therefore, the
overall strategy for USAID's work in this sector is to promote rural
prosperity by increasing the competitiveness of small and medium
producers of quality coffee, and by diversifying the rural economy.
Enhanced quality and productivity, improved business linkages,
market-oriented policies, and sound environmental management are
essential elements of the program.

The Quality Coffee Program (QCP) will focus on the small- to
medium-scale producers and processors -- who are likely to be at a
disadvantage regarding access to technology, information, and credit --
as the primary beneficiaries. The QCP will also take advantage of the
natural endowments that Central America and DR small coffee farmers have
in producing quality and premium coffees (altitude, microclimates,
cultivars, and low pesticide use) while focusing on promoting quality
coffees that sell at higher premiums.

The purpose of this project is to help the Dominican Republic maintain
competitive advantage in the production and marketing of high and
special quality coffees by supporting the implementation of ***Specialty
Coffee Internet Map Servers***.

The activity builds upon prior work by EDC in Dominica, Peru and the
Dominican Republic. It is proposed for immediate implementation, an
intense period of activity for 2 years, and a final period for
assistance as local ownership is operationalized. The activity will
utilize the most recent and powerful GIS and map server technology with
the potential to enhance international market competitiveness for
quality or specialty commodity products. The EDC has pioneered and
prototyped this integration of "transforming technologies" which include
Geographic Positioning Systems (GPS), Remote Sensing (RS), Internet Map
Servers (IMS), and the Internet for transparent transactions and
marketing opportunities.

**B. [Goals and Objectives]{.underline}**

### 

The activity will develop the necessary tools and integrated databases
in a collaborative manner with national experts responsible for national
systems. EDC will provide assistance to help define the field,
monitoring, and tracking requirements for effective specialty coffee
systems. The information derived from the field, either at the farm
level or through associations, will be fully integrated in an Internet
Map Server accessible database. Capabilities for presenting the data,
developing query systems, and displaying client-driven information will
be developed. The IMS server will reside on a national web site. Clients
will be able to access a web-based system which will provide audited
coffee or parcel information in a fully transparent manner. The entire
activity will be implemented in full collaboration with national
participants, with whom EDC will develop the funding and operational
framework to sustain the effort over time. EDC activities will have the
following overall goals:

1.  Secure data from project counterparts for sustainable tree crop
    growers that will allow the development of GPS-GIS Parcel based
    information systems to document the parcel practices, natural
    resource management approaches, parcel history, and environmental,
    biodiversity, and ecological protection.

2.  Incorporate the above in a tansparent Internet map serving system to
    provide credibility, authenticity, and trace back capabilities as
    well as detailed querying capabilities for various clients and as a
    management tool.

3.  Develop capacity and transfer a sustainable operational system to a
    local organization.

###### C. Project Activities

EDC completed Phase I of this activity in the Dominican Republic in
2001. A firm foundation was established in 2001, with financial support
provided by USAID/DR to EDC and national counterparts, taking the first
steps to establish a Specialty Coffee Internet Map Server, national land
use/cover databases and maps, and a Clearinghouse system for spatial
data dissemination. Phase II will continue this work with an emphasis on
the implementation of a fully operational Specialty Coffee Internet Map
Server. Full implementation implies national ownership and maintenance
of the system, and the incorporation of the components of the SCIMS into
both management plans and marketing systems. Because of a hiatus during
2002 the EDC will initially reassess national capacities and needs,
review these with USAID/DR, and then proceed to provide project
guidance, training, capacity building and technical assistance as full
implementation is achieved. EDC will continue to work closely with
national and regional counterparts to reach project objectives and
overall goals.

# [Role of National Counterpart Agencies]{.underline}: The successful completion of this activity requires strong support for the necessary activities proposed, commitment on the part of participating organizations to initiate their counterpart roles and responsibilities, and the development of capabilities to continue these activities in a sustainable manner. National project coordination will be undertaken by the principal institutions responsible for establishing coffee sector policies in each country. These institutions will be responsible for establishing data collection parameters, collecting farm data and georeferenced information (with the use of GPS units), providing the certification criteria and query criteria to incorporate into the IMS, inventorying and collecting the spatial data needed for IMS operation, and selecting a staff member to be hired part-time by the project to act as national coordinator. 

These mechanisms need to be extended and complemented to incorporate
existing - and potential - specialty coffee small farmers, new spatial
data sets, ecological and environmental data, improved data catalogs and
spatial data inventories, improved land use/cover maps, and an assorted
gamut of data and information produced in response to the needs of the
coffee sector in the Dominican Republic. Anticipated organizational
collaboration and responsibilities are as follows:

-   CODOCAFE will continue to provide the extension experts to delimit
    > the participants in the coffee sector, secure the data for the
    > SCIMS database, and cooperate with all entities.

-   IDIAF, in close cooperation with all partners, will provide national
    > technical support and GIS capability. They will compile and
    > assemble the data in quality controlled and IMS compatible
    > databases, and will either receive and maintain the completed
    > SCIMS or support its operation from some other server.

-   ADOCAFES and other quality coffee organizations will incorporate the
    > contents and approaches provided by the SCIMS into effective
    > marketing and PR strategies.

-   DIGEORTE will assist with the land cover/use mapping for specialty
    > coffee areas and continue the product initiated in Phase I.

**[Specific Work Plan Tasks]{.underline}:** The activities described
below are a continuation of the tasks initiated in Phase I. These
activities will be reviewed, revised as necessary, and agreed upon with
counterparts and USAID/Dominican Republic prior to startup.

**(i) Update and complete an effective web site.**

-   Complement WEB Site development initiated during first project
    phase. WEB site will include features such as: a section on how to
    obtain coffee samples, exporter's information, meteorological data,
    links to specialty coffee WEB sites, a catalog describing the
    spatial data sets in the IMS, section on coffee cooperatives and
    coffee mills, statistical data on coffee production and export,
    information on national and international coffee agencies (i.e.
    Codocafe, Adocafes, SCAA, Idiaf, Ministry of Agriculture).

-   Adapt the WEB site design to feature a strong marketing approach,
    based on reviews undertaken by marketing specialists and local
    partners' recommendations.

-   Plan for the transfer of "Web site ownership" from EDC to national
    institutions. A partner agency that is willing and capable of
    hosting and maintaining the WEB site is selected, and all WEB site
    content and data are transferred to selected agency. EDC staff
    provides the needed training for agency to operationalize and
    sustain the site.

-   Assist the development of registration and Web-based PR activities.

-   Consider and decide what on-line access and sales efforts to
    promote.

-   Evaluate on-line transactions related to coffee export and
    clearance.

-   Facilitate the development of marketing systems with national
    partners.

-   Promote the development of new coffee WEB sites by exporters,
    business councils, government agencies and farmers and cooperatives,
    and assist their integration with the quality coffee WEB site and
    IMS described herein.

**(ii) Incorporate additional environmental and ecological datasets
relevant to conservation, biodiversity and Specialty Coffee
certification needs into the IMS.**

-   Initiate processing and querying procedures for Specialty Coffee
    IMS.

-   Identify geographic or thematic areas where data are not available
    or of dubious or poor quality, and plan for acquisition of better
    quality data sets or for the development of new ones.

-   Analyze and combine spatial data sets to produce environmental
    messages targeted at the coffee market.

-   Evaluate and implement appropriate on-line procedures to monitor
    biodiversity and conservation protection.

-   Complete land cover/use mapping to monitor forest conservation and
    meet coffee program needs.

-   Secure and make available SRTM DEM data at 90m posting and work
    toward release of 30m data.

-   Establish environmental management and biodiversity conservation
    priorities and configure IMS to support these. For example, the
    project can undertake spatial analyses to evaluate impact of coffee
    farms on adjacent forest cover or coffee corridors within farm
    areas, assist shade grown coffee certification by providing some of
    the basic data needed, or determine which farms are growing coffee
    in steep slopes that cause soil erosion, among many other
    possibilities.

**(iii) Incorporate the certification criteria into the IMS query
facility.**

-   Study ways of incorporating certification parameters evaluated in
    2001 and new elements into the query facility and the farm data
    collection forms. Advice and input are expected from the Quality
    Coffee Project funded by the French Development Agency now defining
    marketing and certification schemes. For example, data to assist
    fair trade certification can be gathered at each coffee farm and
    incorporated into the databases of the IMS, or data for shade grown
    coffee can be obtained from remote sensing images that allow
    analysis of coffee production upon forest cover and biodiversity.

-   Anticipate and include cooperation with approaches provided by the
    QCP partners.

**(iv) Provide advanced training in appropriate GPS techniques to
extension specialists already trained in basic GPS use and basic
training to new extension specialists covering new pilot areas.**

-   Evaluate the need for counterparts to purchase additional GPS units
    of ArcPad units with parcel and land cover maps.

-   Determine need for laptop computers and associated software.

-   Provide training and field experience in direct support of
    cooperating coffee organization(s).

-   Incorporate training materials into a brief bi-lingual training
    manual.

**(v) Provide training in Internet Map Server (IMS) technology to
appropriate national personnel.**

-   Train key national counterparts on the use of IMS software and
    general maintenance of the Coffee IMS module.

-   Cooperate with ESRI to coordinate and provide the training for the
    implementation of a national GIS Global Map/GSDI project.

-   Secure funding for integrated ArcGIS training in Ministry of
    Agriculture as a part of Component 3.

**(vi) Update, finalize, and implement the Internet Map Server.**

-   Incorporate new query capabilities, based on the new spatial data
    sets incorporated and modifications to the farm data collection
    forms.

-   Upgrade IMS interface established for pilot system implemented
    during 2001, based on consultations with partner institutions and
    feedback from users.

-   Evaluate local institutional capabilities to host and maintain the
    IMS system.

-   Install latest version of ArcIMS.

-   Transfer fully functional IMS to national counterpart.

-   Provide continuing backstopping for IMS operation following
    transfer.

-   The new IMS will incorporate: 10 new spatial datasets, metadata
    describing all spatial data, five or more new query criteria,
    climatic data, data on farms and cooperatives from all the main
    quality coffee producing areas of the country, upgraded interface,
    new tools.

**(vii) Assist new counterpart agencies to evaluate additional uses of
the IMS.**

-   Meet with Ministry of Agriculture officials to study possible ways
    of exploiting the IMS capabilities for crop monitoring and subsidy
    planning and control.

-   Meet with Agribusiness Council (JAD) representatives to evaluate
    their interest in the IMS concept and possible cooperation with
    on-going JAD activities and support for coffee.

-   Assist counterparts to prepare a proposal for smallholder
    implementation to be funded by JAD.

-   Coordinate with Rural Cadastral System representatives to evaluate
    linkages between the two projects.

# 

# d. [Reports and Deliverables for Dominican Republic]{.underline}

These proposed deliverables are identified at a collected level, and are
directly tied to the activities described above.

1.  IMS training provided to five or more national counterparts.

2.  Advanced training workshop for GPS and field applications with
    manuals completed for more than 15 national counterparts. Completion
    of a manual specific for SCIMS GPS applications in Spanish to
    support local trainers for future resources.

3.  Completed data sets (parcel and land cover) for selected coffee
    sectors included in the IMS. More than 10 new data layers are
    incorporated.

4.  Workshop conducted with coffee organization(s) to define criteria
    for certification. The cooperating organizations will summarize a
    report of certification criteria. Two workshops will be organized
    for this purpose.

5.  Training provided to two or more national counterparts to complete
    the land use/cover in coffee areas and satellite data. Appropriate
    integrated databases and maps completed.

6.  Accuracy assessments of land cover, field data, and
    forest-monitoring interpretations completed.

7.  A functional IMS server completed, installed, and made operational
    in a national organization.

8.  The Dominican Coffee Web Site upgraded and incorporating the IMS.
    The web site will be transferred to a national organization.

9.  Metadata for coffee data sets completed and incorporated in the D.R.
    Clearinghouse.

10. IMS development integrated with marketing strategies formulated by
    counterparts.

11. Plan for national implementation presented at an international
    coffee meeting, and work published.

12. Prepare and distribute annual reports to counterparts.

13. Complete a final report with access to all developed data.

Quarterly progress reports will be submitted to USAID/GCAP, USAID/DR,
and QCP counterparts within 15 days of the end of the quarter. Trip
reports for technical assistance, organization, and presentations will
be completed. A final report will be prepared within 60 days of the
project completion.