Frequently asked questions

What is MkulimaOS Marketplace?

A buyer-facing sourcing platform for verified African agricultural supply — specialty coffee first, extending to botanical oils, herbs, and spices. Buyers discover verified lots, assess them on attached evidence, and take them to RFQ and order. It is operated by Spidey Labs Limited and powered by the MkulimaOS farm-operations platform.

Who are the sellers?

Verified African producers and cooperatives whose lots carry origin, certification, and EUDR verification evidence. Their identity is anonymized on the public marketplace and revealed to a buyer only after a Request for Quotation is accepted.

Is my sourcing EUDR-compliant if I buy here?

Buying a verified lot gives you a documented starting point toward your own EU Deforestation Regulation due-diligence statement — the lot's EUDR tier is derived from its underlying batch verification. It does not discharge your own obligation as the operator placing goods on the EU market; you remain responsible for your due-diligence statement. This is general information, not legal advice.

What does the AI actually do?

Three things, all powered by Claude (Anthropic): it matches lots to your plain-language brief and ranks them with a rationale; it writes a plain-language trust vouch summarizing a lot's real EUDR, certificate-of-analysis, and cupping evidence; and it estimates a fair-price band. The provider is named on every AI-produced surface.

Can I see the AI's reasoning?

Yes. Search results carry a fit explanation per lot, and the trust vouch cites the evidence it read with a confidence level. The 'powered by Claude (Anthropic)' attribution is shown wherever AI output appears.

How do prices work?

Each lot shows an AI-estimated fair-price band, labeled explicitly as an estimate — not a binding offer or market quote. It exists to anchor negotiation. Real price is agreed through the RFQ.

Where are the farms located?

Lots show a coarse origin region (for example, a growing region and country) rather than an exact farm location. Precise origin is shared with the buyer after RFQ acceptance, as part of the anonymization guarantee.

When do I see the farm's real name?

After you submit a Request for Quotation and the producer accepts it. Before that you see region, certifications, EUDR tier, quality evidence, the AI trust vouch, and the price band — enough to shortlist without exposing the producer's identity.

How does payment work?

Accepted RFQs convert to orders payable through the platform. In v1, M-Pesa (Daraja) checkout runs in sandbox; production payment rails go live for RFQ-confirmed orders. We label this status rather than implying live settlement.

Do you handle shipping and freight?

The marketplace connects buyers and verified producers and handles discovery, verification, RFQ, and order. Logistics and freight are arranged between the parties on accepted orders; we surface the information you need to plan them.

What certifications are verified?

Certifications listed on a lot (for example organic or fair-trade schemes) come from the producer's records attached to the verification batch. They are shown per lot and summarized in the AI trust vouch alongside the EUDR tier.

How do I get buyer access?

Create a buyer account from the account page — it is separate from any farm-operator account and grants access to source listings and submit RFQs only. You can browse the verified catalogue without an account; you need one to submit an RFQ.