Press article
OriginTrail app
5 APRIL 2016
Press article 500words
Slovenian smartphone app to find out where your food comes from
In 2014, a number of Slovenian food processing companies along with a farmers’
cooperative and a web developer developed OriginTrail, a free smartphone app which
consumers can use to trace local food from farm to fork. The app is a way for farmers to
provide consumers with information on where and how their produce was produced.
OriginTrail currently enables consumers to trace products from three food companies back
to more than 1200 meat, dairy and vegetables farmers from Slovenia. They are currently
seeking to broaden the app to a further food company and 2 farmers’ cooperatives with
400 farmers. For 2016, the group is looking to expand the digital solution to other EU
countries.
Food traceability as a marketing tool
Food traceability is increasingly important for consumers today. People now want to know where their
meat, fruit & vegetables and dairy products come from. They also ask for certain values: specific origin
like mountain farming, high animal welfare standards and fair prices for local farmers. A study found
that for some shoppers, just having this kind of traceability information available is enough to influence
a purchase. It encourages an increase in purchases of the products, and at a higher price, even if the
buyer never uses the information.
With this study in mind, the OriginTrail group found a solution which would both be a marketing tool
for local food producers - by differentiating products based on the origin of their main ingredient - and
an information tool for consumers so that they can find out more about what they are buying.
A digital solution bringing transparency to food value chains
The OriginTrail smartphone app is the result of a collaboration between a number of food processing
companies, a farmers’ cooperative and a web developer from Slovenia. It is a web and mobile solution
bringing transparency to food value chains. Consumers can scan a product label and find out where the
beef they want to buy was produced or if the apples they fancy have a Protected Geographical
Indication. Žiga Drev co-founder of OriginTrail says: “OriginTrail presents an important step forward for
local food producers. They go beyond simply stating the country of primary production, instead they
unveil the entire path of the product’s origin on a particular farm.”
The application also allows consumers to give their feedback on a particular product to the farmer,
meaning that there is direct interaction between the shopper and the producer.
Žiga Drev concludes :“The farmers that supply milk, meat or vegetables have been very positive about
OriginTrail giving consumers the ability to see where the ingredients in end products come from. The
farmers are confident that the transparency the system provides will result in higher consumer
confidence and shopping preference for their products.”
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PRESS ARTICLE ORIGINTRAIL APP 5 APRIL 2016
Press article 250words
Slovenian smartphone app to find out where your food comes from
In 2014 a number of Slovenian food processing companies along with a farmers’
cooperative and a web developer developed OriginTrail, a free smartphone app which
consumers can use to trace local food from farm to fork. OriginTrail currently enables
consumers to trace products from three food companies back to more than 1200 local
meat, dairy and vegetables farmers in Slovenia. They are currently developing the app
with a fourth food company and two farmers’ cooperatives with 400 farmers. For 2016,
the group is looking to expand the digital solution to other EU countries.
People now want to know where their food comes from. They also ask for certain values: specific
origin like mountain farming, high animal welfare standards and fair prices for local farmers. A study
found that for some shoppers just having this information available is enough to influence a purchase.
With this study in mind, the OriginTrail group found a solution which would provide local food
producers by differentiating tproducts based on the origin of their main ingredient. Consumers can
find out more about what they are buying simply by scanning a product label. The app has a feedback
option, creating direct interaction between shopper and producer.
Žiga Drev concludes: “The farmers have been very positive about OriginTrail. They are confident that
the transparency the system provides will result in consumer confidence and shopping preference for
their products.”
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PRESS ARTICLE ORIGINTRAIL APP 5 APRIL 2016
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More information
This press article is based on the inspirational idea that appeared in the EIP-AGRI newsletter |
issue 29 | January 2016.
Study: ‘Knowing about your food from the farm to the table: Using information systems
that reduce information asymmetry and health risks in retail contexts’ published in
Information & Management Volume 52, Issue 6, September 2015, Pages 692–709
More inspirational ideas on agriculture, forestry & innovation
are available on the EIP-AGRI website:
Winter harvest: supporting the development of organic
winter growing
Austria
Feeding pigs and poultry: tips for a 100% organic diet
Austria, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Lithuania, Netherlands,
Sweden, United kingdom
Inspirational idea: Pig farms in Flanders improve their
performance by sharing data and results
Manure processing: online discussion forum connects
demand and supply
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Belgium
Belgium
Smart logistics to connect producers and consumers
Belgium
Healthy strawberries thanks to ‘flying doctors’
Finland
Biovakka, Manure management to produce biogas and
nutrients in Finland
Finland
Turning waste into a resource - horse manure
France
Dealing with pests from the air
France
Thriving, not just surviving, support for new entrants into
farming
France
Innovative technology for animal feed rich in protein
France
Farm demonstrations, discovering drones
France
PRESS ARTICLE ORIGINTRAIL APP 5 APRIL 2016
Complying with environmental regulations when spraying
crops
German Innovation office EIP Agricultural in SchleswigHolstein ready to support Operational Groups
Germany
Germany
Online videos to bring consumers and farmers closer
Germany
Finding the right match - farms for new entrants
Ireland
Precision farming, the right technology and sharing
knowledge are key
The Netherlands
Inspirational idea: A new market for fruit & veg waste
Portugal
Mission possible' to preserve wetlands in Spain
Spain
Maintaining a resilient and dynamic agricultural sector in
The Netherlands
The Netherlands
New technology to combine grazing and milking
The Netherlands
Sustainable egg production
The Netherlands
Craigie's farm: “We don’t just sell products, we sell the
experience!”
Increasing farm profitability while cutting carbon
emissions, a toolkit developed by farmers for farmers
Improving feed intake in cows, sheep and goats
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Background information
EIP-AGRI
The European Innovation Partnership 'Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability' (EIP-AGRI) is one of
five EIPs which have been launched by the European Commission in a bid to promote rapid
modernisation of the sectors concerned by stepping up innovation efforts. The EIP-AGRI aims to foster
innovation in the agricultural and forestry sectors by bringing research and practice closer together – in
research and innovation projects as well as via the EIP-AGRI network.
EIPs aim to streamline, simplify and better coordinate existing instruments and initiatives and
complement them with actions where necessary. Two specific funding sources are particularly important
for the EIP-AGRI: the EU Research and Innovation framework, Horizon 2020, as well as the EU Rural
Development Policy.
Contact information
Ina Van Hoye
Communication officer
EIP-AGRI Service Point
[email protected]
+32 486 90 77 43
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