F&V bar codes bring consumers closer to local growers

A new gadget offers consumers product information through the bar code

The Augmented Living Goods Program (AUG) is a new mobile application that scans product bar codes with a mobile phone, providing consumers with instant information about the fresh produce they are going to buy in the supermarket. With this free service, consumers can obtain a range of information covering local grower info, food nutritional value, growing methods, the producer profile, the distance the product has travelled, whether the product is currently in season and historical pricing.

The new application, which was created by 4 ex-students from the Savannah College of Art & Design in Georgia, can be downloaded very simply to the consumer’s smart mobile device. Members of the AUG program will be able to access useful information that has been added to a bar code directory and is ready to be received by the user through SMS.

This new development will be very useful for a number of parties: consumers will learn exactly where their fruit and vegetables come from and who is growing them; local growers will have the opportunity to increase their sales and generate new awareness about their business; and finally, grocers will be able to sell more produce more quickly, once the customers understand the advantages of buying local.

AUG was the winning product in the third annual Greener Gadgets Design Competition, which is sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). The aim of this competition is to spotlight green designs and innovations in consumer technology. The creators of AUG are currently working to adapt the gadget to a range of mobile phone systems such as iPhone, Android and Windows Mobile.

S&G Brassicas Today - May 2010