The farm-to-fork feeling
“There definitely is a growing trend in which consumers demand more information about how their products are sourced, particularly when it comes to food. Consumers are growing more environmentally- and socially-conscious, encouraging them to be closer to and more aware of the production/manufacturing process,” says Malison.
Au Bout du champ is a French initiative, which didn’t appear in Euromonitor’s new concepts, but which for several years has allowed city-dwelling consumers to order local farm products, such as jam, syrups, juice and vegetables online. They receive a special PIN code and then use the code to open the food ATM where their groceries are waiting for them.
Meanwhile, similar ‘farm to fork’ initiatives in the UK have received the praise of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. “There are many examples of small and medium businesses in the UK, such as online delivery services such as Abel and Cole, Riverford and Farmdrop, who are using the internet to connect consumers with local producers and farmers to enable them to see where their products are sourced from,” a spokesperson said.