Innovations in creating short supply chains and direct sales

The main objective of the operation is to produce technological and organizational innovations related to digital tools to improve the distribution of farm food in order to minimize the number of middlemen between the buyer and the producer, protect the environment, mitigate climate change, build IT networks, increase the competitiveness of Polish farmers and the availability of data on online agri-food trade, and create and use in the supply chain the technology of unmanned stand-alone stores for the purchase of agricultural products.

• The operation includes the creation of a portal and application called "Kupuje na wsi" having a number of solutions to facilitate the direct sale of agricultural products from the farm, and the creation and use of technology of unmanned free-standing stores called " Rolnikomat" for the purchase of agricultural products.
• The innovations that are the subject of the operation have a number of characteristics that make it possible to distinguish them and to identify attributes that prove their clearly improved or new character.

In order to achieve the effectiveness of the solution, the prototype will be developed on the basis of a group of farmers from the Lublin Province. With the help of their sales experience and the experience of the project team, which is involved in the development of one of the largest and oldest agricultural classifieds platforms in Poland - IGRIT.pl, an effective innovation in facilitating direct sales without middlemen will be produced.

The need for the operation is justified by the results of scientific research as defined in Article 4 (2) of the Law of July 20, 2018 Law on Higher Education and Science. The need for the development of digital platforms for trade in agri-food products is indicated in many scientific studies.

• The planned operation is very much in line with the Common Agricultural Policy's objectives of competitive, low-carbon, climate-friendly and climate-resilient solutions by focusing on producing solutions related to improving organizational and technological innovations that support the development of short food supply chains. 
• Selling directly from the farm reduces pollution associated with transportation and mass food production. In turn, lower carbon emissions reduce climate change. In addition, by making it easier to access the offerings of local producers, customers are more likely to opt for organic and sustainably produced products.

Project activities

The planned operation involves a 2-year duration and 5 stages. Within the operation, some processes follow one another, and some run in parallel to others.

• Within the framework of the stages, each member of the consortium will carry out a series of activities leading to the production of innovations as a result of research and development activities.
• In the course of the operation, surveys will be conducted on direct sales and customers' expectations of innovations.
• At the same time, short supply chain activities, conducting statistical analysis of the data as well as consortium meetings to verify defined assumptions will be promoted.

The main benefits of the project

The operation is to implement improved innovations in technology and organizational methods.

The main benefit of the operation is to facilitate the direct sale of agricultural products from the farm through the creation and implementation of digital solutions and an innovative unmanned point of sale.

The main benefits for end users are:

• reduced time consumed in creating a sales offer,
• encouragement to undertake agricultural retailing,
• access to data on retail prices of selected agricultural products and their changes over time,
• reduced transaction and information search costs,
• facilitated communication between customers and suppliers,
• improvement of existing unmanned sales methods in the local market,
• and increased marketing positioning of farms.

The totality of these activities translates into an increase in the level of innovation in the agricultural industry in Poland and an increase in the level of environmental protection and mitigation of the effects of climate change.

Practice summary

Implementation of the operation will culminate in the development of a digital solution that can be successfully applied by the farmer. Digitization of agricultural processes carries the potential to increase farm productivity, while affecting the sustainability of the agricultural sector both economically and ecologically. The planned operation involves improving innovative technological and organizational solutions for the development of sales in short food supply chains.

• The operation includes the creation of a portal and application called "Kupuje na wsi." The improvement includes automation of the process of transition from B2B to B2C market, creation of an API with information on the retail price of various agricultural products and presentation of the price development over time, a solution to generate QR codes allowing redirection to the farm profile, the type of products and also to allow make a purchase, alerts in the app about the upcoming harvest, push notifications in the mobile app, as well as a tool to create the designation of the farmer's offer in accordance with the requirements of the RDP (rural development programme) Cooperation - creating a short supply chains. Implementation of the project will ensure efficient and fast transfer of the product from the manufacturer directly to the customer. The application will be available on mobile devices.
• Access to the portal will be possible through a web browser. Internet sales are a viable distribution channel for local agricultural products. Therefore, it is planned to create a portal and mobile application with innovative functionalities. The farmer will be able to use the developed digital solution to facilitate the process of selling directly to consumers. Farmers are a group of users who expect interfaces such as these, which do not deviate from common solutions, and present new functions through easy-to-use and familiar elements. Nevertheless, online platforms aimed at professionals also need to meet these expectations.
• Therefore, the purchase path will be shortened as much as possible and optimized according to UX principles. Attention will be paid to the aesthetic design of the portal and application. The main benefits for farmers using the solution include a reduction in the time consumed in creating a sales offer, encouragement to undertake agricultural retailing, access to data on retail prices of selected agricultural products and their changes over time, reduced transaction and information search costs, facilitated communication with customers, and increased marketing positioning of farms.
• A website and mobile application providing the ability to inform customers through notifications of product availability in a selected location and facilitating contact between local suppliers and customers provide a number of opportunities to bridge the current gap in communication and sales. The use of the portal and application will make it easy and cost-free to gain a wide reach among potential customers. Implementation of the project will ensure efficient and fast transfer of food from the producer directly to the consumer.

Results achieved

The main objective of the operation was to produce technological and organizational innovations related to digital tools to improve the distribution of farm food in order to minimize the number of middlemen between the buyer and the producer, protect the environment, mitigate climate change, build IT networks, increase the competitiveness of Polish farmers and the availability of data on online agri-food trade, and create and use in the supply chain the technology of unmanned stand-alone stores for the purchase of agricultural products.

The operation included the creation of a portal and application called "Kupuje na wsi" having a number of solutions to facilitate the direct sale of agricultural products from the farm, and the creation and use of technology of unmanned free-standing stores called ”Rolnikomat" for the purchase of agricultural products.

The innovations that were the result of the operation have a number of characteristics that make it possible to distinguish them and to identify attributes that prove their clearly improved or new character. The prototype was developed on the basis of a group of farmers from the Lublin Province. With the help of their sales experience and the experience of the project team, which is involved in the development of one of the largest and oldest agricultural classifieds platforms in Poland - IGRIT.pl, an effective innovation in facilitating direct sales without middlemen was produced.

The operation implemented improved innovations in technology and organizational methods. The main benefit of the operation was to facilitate the direct sale of agricultural products from the farm through the creation and implementation of digital solutions and an innovative unmanned point of sale.

The main benefits for end users were:

• reduced time consumed in creating a sales offer,
• encouragement to undertake agricultural retailing,
• access to data on retail prices of selected agricultural products and their changes over time,
• reduced transaction and information search costs,
• facilitated communication between customers and suppliers,
• improvement of existing unmanned sales methods in the local market, and increased marketing positioning of farms.

The totality of these activities translated into an increase in the level of innovation in the agricultural industry in Poland and an increase in the level of environmental protection and mitigation of the effects of climate change.

Additional comments

The potential area of impact of the result of the operation goes beyond the territory of the Republic of Poland for a number of reasons.

• The first of these is the provision of an external API.
• What's more, a number of organizational and marketing solutions will make it possible to significantly increase the visibility and searchability of Polish farmers to foreign stakeholders.
• Having a farm profile significantly increases the visibility in Google's search algorithms of Internet users from foreign countries, which can positively affect trade between Polish farmers and Western processors.
• The premise of the European Commission's Farm to Fork strategy supports consumers in making healthy and sustainable food choices, countering food waste. Among its goals is the shortening of supply chains. There is therefore a need for solutions to support the development of agricultural sales and reduce the number of middlemen.
• If the innovations created and improved are successful, there will be no obstacles to the developed and improved platform being copied and implemented in countries of the Community increasing the level of innovation in the agri-food sector in the European Union. This could also be a boost to promotion and increased sales directly from agricultural producers.