Food shortages: Alternative to get hold of fresh produce

Vegetables, from which the body gets a lot of nutrients, are an essential part of the human diet. The agriculture supply chain is so complex that the time taken for the produce to reach a home from the farm can take days. This means the produce loses nutrients along with its freshness. Likewise, there are currently various products that are difficult to get hold of from mainstream supermarkets at the moment. For anyone looking for alternative ways to get source fresh produce, here are a few sources to try.

Wholesale food suppliers

Purchasing produce from wholesale food suppliers means cutting the middlemen out and directly getting the produce. Usually, wholesalers sell to restaurants and retailers, but there are many wholesale markets available where one can get fresh produce at a cheap rate. The only catch is that they do not sell items in small quantities. Their profit margin depends on earnings from bulk orders; hence, when buying from a wholesaler, one must purchase a minimum quantity as demanded.

Check out local farmers’ markets

When shopping for fresh produce, what is better than going to a farmers’ market? The produce from the market stays fresh for as long as possible and tastes great as it comes directly from the farm. Buyers will find all seasonal fruits and vegetables available, and, apart from fresh produce, one can also get hold of homemade and home-grown products such as eggs, fresh meats, pickles, jams and bread. Ever better, one doesn’t just get fresh produce, but they’re also sold at a discounted rate, coming directly from the farm without any intermediaries to take a percentage in between.

The only drawback is that this kind of market is not open every day, which means there is a specific schedule to follow. It will be necessary to make a list of everything needed to cook meals till the next market date.

Small farms deliveries through social media

After the pandemic, many farms have shifted their marketplace. Instead of doing it physically, they use social media and have started delivery services. These organic products are sold directly from small farms.

There are also CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) programs in place where one buys a share of the farm’s harvest in advance, and, once it is harvested, it gets delivered. This is not just sustainable agriculture, but buyeres are also supporting local farms. Such CSA programs are also available for meat and dairy products in addition to fruits and vegetables.

Buy fresh produce from a metaverse marketplace

The metaverse can be used to sell products from farms directly to consumers, with goods showcased to consumers using virtual reality for an immersive demonstration. Shoppers can pick the product, which is like the virtual experience of visiting the grocery store to shop with a smart cart. This saves time and money, and also they get access to fresh produce directly.

www.agoverse.com is an agricultural metaverse concept based on the blockchain platform. It offers an Amazon-like marketplace where the sellers are farmers, retailers and manufacturers. Agoverse allows farmers to create an immersive experience where consumers can visit the farmland virtually and experience how the food gets from the farm to their table. “Our goal is to provide a one-stop-shop for the agricultural industry,” says to president Bryan Candelaria.

The vendor-created Agoverse store offers secure payments, shipping options and order tracking, which makes the shopping experience pleasant and attracts new consumers. Treasurer Christine Van Allen rightly states, “The innovative platform is driving growth and prosperity in the agricultural industry, creating new opportunities for farmers and businesses.”

Blockchain technology adds a layer of security in transactions and transparency with guaranteed immutability, thanks to the distributed ledger that stores the data. In the words of CEO Matthew Candelaria, “Agoverse is more than just a marketplace: we are creating a platform that empowers farmers, manufacturers and retailers to connect and do business securely and transparently.”

The unique blockchain advertising metaverse in Agoverse allows advertisers to create innovative ads for the agricultural sector. CTO Preska Thomas explains, “Agoverse’s Web3 blockchain technology ensures that our advertising metaverse is trustworthy and efficient, providing a new level of trust for advertisers and their target audience.”

The best part of using Agoverse is one can get hold of fresh produce from home by shopping through a digital platform. This can be done at any time without waiting for the market to open, as it always is. This makes it the most convenient way to get hold of fresh produce without even stepping out of the house. Kevin D Finn, the president of business operations in Indiana, is optimistic when he says, “Agoverse is committed to driving growth and innovation in the agricultural industry, creating new opportunities for farmers and businesses.”

The bottom line

Many of us pick produce from supermarkets and end up with vegetables that do not look fresh. It helps to instead buy produce from the farmers directly and go through a channel that offers traceability in the supply chain. This way, it is not only possible to consume nutrient-rich meals but also minimise wastage as the fresh produce does not spoil as easily, making it sustainable.

The editorial unit