The verdict in three sentences
For an Amsterdam trader sourcing from an Ivorian cooperative union of 6,500 cashew and cocoa farmers, funding a collection and traceability system costs EUR 23,000 to 46,000 (15 to 30 million FCFA), with support and maintenance of EUR 460 to 1,070 a month. The core of the system is an offline weighing app at farm gate, linked to mobile money payment of farmers and to the GPS mapping of plots required by the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Without that evidence, the trader cannot file a due diligence statement for cocoa, and the cost of a blocked shipment in the port of Amsterdam far exceeds the cost of the software.
What the EUDR and buyers require in 2026
The EUDR requires EU operators placing cocoa on the market to prove that each lot comes from plots not deforested after 31 December 2020, with the geographic coordinates of every plot. Cashew is outside the regulation, but Vietnamese, Indian and European buyers increasingly ask for farmer-level traceability. In Côte d'Ivoire, the cotton and cashew regulator and the Conseil Café-Cacao also enforce a minimum farm-gate price.
| Requirement | Data to collect | Software module | Risk if missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plot geolocation | GPS polygon for plots over 4 ha, a point otherwise | Mobile mapping | Cocoa lot rejected at EU entry |
| Farmer identity | Name, photo, farmer card, mobile money number | Member registry | Untraceable payments |
| Weighing per delivery | Gross weight, tare, moisture, quality (KOR for cashew) | Offline weighing app | Weight disputes and fraud |
| Minimum price compliance | Price paid per kg | Farmer payments | Regulator sanctions |
| Lot chain | Bags, warehouse, truck, bill of lading | Stock and shipment management | Broken traceability |
| Due diligence statement | Data export in the operator's format | EUDR reports | Shipment held, lost contract |
Detailed 2026 budget
| Item | Range (FCFA) | Approx. EUR | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offline weighing and collection app | 5,000,000 to 9,000,000 | 7,600 to 13,700 | Android, sync when signal returns |
| Farmer registry and GPS mapping | 3,500,000 to 7,000,000 | 5,300 to 10,700 | Polygons, overlap checks |
| Farmer payment via Wave or Orange Money | 2,500,000 to 5,000,000 | 3,800 to 7,600 | Bulk payment, SMS receipts |
| Stock, lots and shipments | 2,000,000 to 5,000,000 | 3,000 to 7,600 | From warehouse to Abidjan or San-Pedro port |
| Dashboards and buyer reports | 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 | 3,000 to 6,100 | EUDR exports, Rainforest Alliance |
| Total project | 15,000,000 to 30,000,000 | 23,000 to 46,000 | 4 to 6 months |
| Hardware per collection point | 250,000 to 450,000 | 380 to 690 | Rugged phone, Bluetooth scale |
| Support and hosting | 300,000 to 700,000 a month | 460 to 1,070 a month | Campaign-season support |
The calendar is tight: delivery must happen before the cashew season opens in February or the main cocoa crop in October. A project started in June is ready for October if mapping runs in parallel with field officers.
Farmer payments: the hidden gain
Paying 6,500 farmers in cash means moving tens of millions of FCFA into villages, with theft risk and errors. Bulk mobile money payment costs roughly 0.5 to 1 % of the amount depending on operator and contract, but removes cash convoys, produces a receipt for each farmer and proves the price paid, a point Amsterdam traders now include in their sustainability reporting. For a union paying out 3 billion FCFA (about EUR 4.6 million) per season, fees stay below the combined cost of convoys, cash discrepancies and warehouse staff time.
Mini case study
Pieter, sourcing director of a cocoa and cashew trader in Amsterdam, buys from a union of 14 cooperatives in Côte d'Ivoire's Gbêkê region: 9,000 tonnes of cashew and 2,500 tonnes of cocoa from 6,500 farmers. Without plot geolocation, his compliance team cannot clear the cocoa, and a discount of about EUR 76 per tonne applies on alternative markets, i.e. EUR 190,000 for the season.
The project is quoted at EUR 33,500 (22 million FCFA), plus 40 weighing kits at EUR 530 (EUR 21,300) and support of EUR 760 a month. Year-one cost is about EUR 64,000. By avoiding the discount, the trader recovers three times the outlay in the first season, not counting fewer weighing disputes, estimated at 1 % of tonnage (2026 order of magnitude).
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FAQ
What does cooperative collection software cost?
Budget 15 to 30 million FCFA (EUR 23,000 to 46,000) for a union of several thousand farmers, plus EUR 460 to 1,070 a month in maintenance. A cooperative of 800 members can start around EUR 12,000.
Does the weighing app work without signal?
Yes, every weighing is stored offline on the phone and synced as soon as 3G or 4G coverage is available. A collection day of 300 weighings takes less than 5 MB.
Does the EUDR apply to cashew?
No, it covers cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy, cattle and wood. Mixed cocoa and cashew unions still benefit from mapping all plots in a single season.
How long does mapping 6,500 plots take?
A trained officer maps 8 to 12 plots a day. With 20 officers it takes about 6 to 8 weeks, for a field cost of EUR 9,000 to 15,000.
Can farmers be paid through Wave and Orange Money?
Yes, the software generates a bulk payment file from approved weighings. Each farmer receives payment and an SMS receipt within minutes.
Let's scope your project. We scope your collection system (offline weighing, mapping, mobile payment), with an indicative budget of EUR 23,000 to 46,000 and delivery before the next season. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
