You've heard all the lingo - traceability; sustainable; local etc. A company in USA have taken this trend and actually implemented it to service all customers; not just those shopping at organic farmers markets.
“Stone-Buhr has created a simple, easy-to-use website for you to locate the family farms that grew the grain that we milled to create your flour. We believe it is important to support these multi-generational family farmers who are producing quality wheat in a responsible and sustainable manner. Simply type in your product's lot code in the field to the left, and we'll introduce you to the local growers responsible for the final product you hold in your hands”. Check out http://www.findthefarmer.com/
The underlying idea, broadly called traceability, is in fashion in many food circles these days. Makers of chocolates, oranges and other foods want to create relationships between consumers and farmers, reverting back to pre-industrialised food manufacturing, where close food ties had not yet been broken.
Traceability can be good for more than just soothing the culinary consciences of foodies. Traceability can be used as a way to minimize the impact of food scares like the recent peanut salmonella crisis in USA (The Peanut Corp. of America had to recall hundred thousands of dollars worth of product after a salmonella outbreak! To date 2100 products in 17 categories affecting 200 companies!). The theory: if food producers know they’re being watched, perhaps they’ll be more careful?
Apart from accountability, food manufactured with trace and locality offers a "made with care", "personal" appeal. We are going to bite into that bread or pastry and know whose hands were on the product. When eating your scone you’ll now say ‘Oh my, there’s a real person behind this’.
We've all seen the enlarged photographs of farmers on display in Woolworths. This website concept takes it to a whole other level.
Way to go!
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