ESA Support for Trade in Space – monitoring coffee supply chain sustainability
- Trade in Space Ltd
- Feb 4
- 2 min read
We’re proud to share a new video released by European Space Agency highlighting the success of the ORCAS project and how it is helping transform agricultural supply chains through space-enabled innovation.
Developed by Trade in Space with funding from ESA Space Solutions and support from UK Space Agency, ORCAS (ORbital Commodity Asset Securitisation) combines satellite Earth observation, blockchain and ground-sourced data to deliver end-to-end traceability for global commodities.
From pilot to production: enabling ethical, auditable supply chains
ORCAS was designed to solve a growing challenge: how to prove origin, sustainability and deforestation-free production in complex, often remote supply chains.
Working with stakeholders across farming communities, cooperatives, wholesalers and suppliers, the platform delivers micro-lot transparency even in areas with limited or no connectivity. During the pilot phase in Colombia, Trade in Space partnered with CNCh to trial ORCAS in the Necoclí region of Urabá, supporting one cocoa association and eighteen member farmers
Two core services emerged from the project
Digitrak, a lightweight mobile app enabling offline data capture using GNSS location data, allowing farmers to record production and track individual sacks via QR codes.
Sustainimaps, a visual analytics platform that brings together ground data and satellite imagery to map shipments across the entire supply chain and assess environmental risk.
Supporting EUDR compliance and opening global markets
With new EU and UK legislation requiring importers to prove traceability and deforestation-free sourcing since 2020, many organisations faced an urgent need for practical compliance solutions. ORCAS addresses this head-on, particularly at the first mile of the supply chain, where data gaps are often greatest.
The platform is already being used by four of the world’s top 20 coffee trading organisations, helping producers, exporters and buyers prepare audit-ready documentation while strengthening transparency and resilience.
Crucially, ORCAS also empowers smallholders, enabling direct access to global markets through verifiable sustainability credentials.
Real impact at scale
Since completing the ESA programme, Trade in Space has supported over one million farms worldwide to evidence compliance with emerging environmental regulations. More than 1,000,000 family incomes have been protected through ORCAS-enabled supply chains, a milestone recognised with the ESA BASS Impact Award.
As ESA Technical Officer Guillaume Taun Prigent noted, the project not only helps small producers access global markets, but also supports more sustainable and ethical supply chains worldwide.
Building on the success of coffee and cocoa, the ORCAS platform is now being evolved to support additional commodities, including soy, natural rubber, palm oil and imported beef, responding directly to growing market demand for transparent, deforestation-free sourcing.
We’re grateful to ESA and the UK Space Agency for their support in bringing ORCAS from concept to commercial reality. The journey so far shows what’s possible when space technology meets real-world supply chain challenges, and we’re excited to continue scaling this impact across global agriculture.
If you’d like to learn more about ORCAS or explore how our services can support your organisation, please get in touch
