Producer Led Virtual Food Hub Pilot Project

Project Summary (PS)/Abstract.Prior to the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemicconsolidation of food production and distribution has had significant negative economic andhealth-related impacts on rural America. As farms have consolidated and turned to technology toreplace human labor rural job opportunities have diminished. As smaller farms are taken over bylarge corporations with national/international distribution channels local restaurants hospitalsschools and communities are challenged to find sources of local fresh foods. This negativelyimpacts the health of community members. Many rural farming areas ironically become "fooddeserts" with high levels of serious food insecurity.In addition the COVID-19 pandemic hasintroduced unprecedented levels of economic despair that are surging above and beyond those ofthe Great Recession.The long-term health of rural communities is at great risk.The overall goal of this multi-phase SBIR project is to develop validate andcommercialize a means to improve farmers' viability and profitability increase opportunities foremployment and income generation in rural communities and facilitate rural prosperity andeconomic development by developing an online technology to connect rural producers withbuyers. Prior to Phase I work Food4All's prototype enabled farmers ranchers and value-addedproducers to sell directly to individuals via the producer's website social media and in-personthrough a mobile point-of-sale system. Phase I built upon this foundation to prove the feasibilityof a functioning prototype that enables rural producers to sell to wholesale buyers online using asingle system to manage products prices and inventory while enabling transactions through apilot project with MarketMaker a directory of producers and buyers used in 23 states.Phase II R&D will further the development of the prototype wholesale technology towarda commercial stage and will allow us to integrate the commercial wholesale features into theexisting platform. Additionally Phase II will deepen the technical integration with MarketMakerto offer a seamless experience for buyers searching for products on MarketMaker and sellersusing the Local Food Sales Platform to sell through MarketMaker.Phase II objectives are to: 1)Build upon the Phase I prototype platform to develop a scalable platform that meets the needs ofrural food producers selling to wholesale buyers and direct to consumers; 2) Demonstrate theintegration of Food4All's wholesale and direct-to-consumer platform with MarketMaker andprocurement technologies used by distributors grocery stores and other institutional buyers; and3) Demonstrate the functionality of a Food4All regulatory and reporting software framework.Phase II will allow us to produce the data needed to engage "Phase III" partners investors andcustomers.Commercial Application and Anticipated ResultsThe local food market is positioned to leap to over $30 Billion by 2023 as consumers andinstitutional buyers shift buying behaviors. Even a small incremental buying behavior shifttoward local food purchases can translate to a substantial increase in the size of the market andaddressable market of our local food technology platform. Our technology platform is a catalystfor changing consumer and institutional buying behaviors.Food4All's next-generation e-commerce Local Food Sales Platform could positivelyimpact rural communities in two important ways: First supporting local food production andsales has the potential to increase economic activity within rural communities boosting jobs andkeeping businesses alive as the community recovers from the negative impacts of the pandemic.Second this platform has the potential to increase the health of rural community members byproviding direct access to fresh local farm products as well as consumer access through localrestaurants hospital