Previously, if you wanted to get in touch with the farmer directly, the most common way that people went about doing this was by going to their local farmers market. There, you could ask questions about where the food is directly coming from, how it's grown etc. But for the farmer to attend a variety of farmers markets it takes him time and money and no guarantee that the goods will be sold.
By placing their goods for sale online it boosts the convenience on their end and gives consumers an option to buy things directly from the farmer that might even come with a significant discount. It's enabling farmers to develop a significant relationship with those who are interested in consuming their products.
Aside from going to farmers markets, farmers also have the option of going to wholesale customers and other local buyers. And in India for example, many farmers there still rely heavily on agents to auction off their vegetables and other goods.
The auction of the goods is allegedly dominated by agents, working on commission, and they've been able to form their own monopoly; forcing farmers to sell at prices they might not have if they had other options available to them. They start selling very early in the morning, sometimes as early as 4am, and the prices for their goods allegedly see a downward trend sometime after 7am, so there is a lot of pressure to sell as soon as they can.
Many have criticized the agents involved and said that they are looting the farmers. Agents previously threatened the government that they would protest if they were taken out of the exchange with the farmers; if their position was threatened in any way.
Farmers in the area see the agents as being valuable to them because they don't have the ability or knowledge yet to be able to take care of the logistics and distribution involved with selling their goods.
But just as technology has made it easy for farmers in the US and elsewhere to put their goods online, hopefully it will soon help farmers in India as well take more control over their livelihood. Trying to extend those exchanges to an online e-trading platform is one task that industry experts suggest won't be an easy one to accomplish. It will be up to the farmers to decide whether or not they want to embrace such a change.
Permitting a little bit of freedom here would enable the farmers to be able to find a true market value for their goods, rather than having to sell them through what many perceive to be cartels.
Pics:
Pixabay
Pixabay
via Fotolia.com
Sources:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/how-e-trading-in-fruits-vegetables-can-help-farmers-beat-canny-middlemen/articleshow/62078985.cms
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/commssion-agents-furious-over-direct-payment-to-punjab-farmers/1/211381.html
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/police-book-commission-agent-farmer-outfit-ends-protest/articleshow/61886549.cms
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/bathinda/farmers-commission-agents-continue-protest/451296.html
https://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/02/26/farmers-struggle-to-escape-middlemen/
https://steemit.com/news/@doitvoluntarily/grass-fed-startup-offering-delivery-service-to-48-states
https://steemit.com/cowfunding/@doitvoluntarily/cow-funding-to-meet-grass-fed-consumer-demands
