
The “Farmers Mall” - digital platform connecting local producers with potential customers

About this good practice
This platform addresses a widespread problem in Romania, which is the lack of a direct relationship between local producers and potential customers.On the one hand,producers lack marketing and communication skills and logistical resources and, on the other hand, customers lack trust in producers, when it comes to the quality of products or even the origin of the products they sell. The project partially achieves its objectives because it creates the premise of a direct relationship between customer and producer. In order to address this objective, the project developed a module that allows families from the city to volunteer in the producers' households.This module is part of the community supported agriculture concept.The platform consists of the following modules:
- the web component, a website that allows users (customers and local producers) to interact directly, either through purchases or messages
- the mobile application, which displays the local producers in proximity; the customers can interact directly with the producers' profiles
- the module for agriculture cooperatives and associations, allowing the administrators of these types of groups to manage profiles, products, orders and messages from customers
- the logistics and transport software for producer groups and end producers that creates the possibility of managing and delivering products
Another goal of this project is to facilitate the setting up the new cooperatives and associations of local producers.
Resources needed
Own sources of funding were used, as well as a grant of EUR 20,000, awarded by EIT Climate KIC. The total amount invested is approximately EUR 150,000. The team involved consists of 6 people.
Evidence of success
The success of this project is proved by the results achieved by now: high number of producers registered in the database at this time (over 1500 local producers nationwide), as well as the number of interested customers (over 9000 customers). During the testing of the logistics software, during a 6 months period, more than 2000 delivered orders were recorded in the surrounding area of Brasov.
Potential for learning or transfer
Driving factors for transfer:
- the platform provide key information for local producers about legal, fiscal and other aspects
- the platform is an easy-to-use tool for customers, helping them to find information about healthy food, culinary traditions or other relevant information
- the platform simplifies and makes more efficient the management of the activities performed by local producers within cooperatives and associations, in terms of marketing and distribution.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.