61018Short Smart Supply ChainsClosedResponsive Strategy and PlanningInnovate UK_The Covid-19 global pandemic has highlighted our dependence on supermarkets and imported fresh food. Large supermarkets have struggled to cope with providing deliveries for the most vulnerable. At the same time the pandemic has closed markets which were the main outlet for many small producers. They have been scrambling to set up delivery services but provision is ad hoc and fragmented -- consumers are struggling to find local deliveries and those most in need have had to rely on foodbanks._ _Food prices are rising due to increasing road transport costs due to Covid and currency rates._ _The Short, Smart, Supply Chain project aims to shorten the supply chain, to make it easy for consumers to buy direct from producers. It will use a combination of market intelligence and agronomy to inform smarter production -- improving profits and reducing waste._ _The platform will gather intelligence about market demand, trends and prices; put it together with information about the soil type and health to give farmers or home growers recommendations about what to grow._ _A live register of local crop plans will predict when produce will reach the market and adjust recommendations to reduce gluts on the market -- reducing waste and helping to stabilise prices._ _Consumers and restaurants will be able to order fresh, seasonal, local produce direct from a quality assured farm or home grower. They will also be able to add a wish list for produce not currently available_ _The intelligence gathered from orders and wish lists, together with wider market intelligence on trends will inform the next crop recommendations._ _The platform will be launched in Northern Ireland within 12 weeks of the project initiation and will roll out across the UK over a 3 year period. Our target is 100 producers by the end of year 1 increasing to 500 by the end of year 3\._ _The project will be delivered by Venturefolk - a new Belfast based co-operative established to respond to good ideas and make them happen. The co-operative brings together multi-disciplinary teams to work intensively on projects adopted by Venturefolk. It is a not for profit venture but members are paid a fair and equal price for their work._ _The platform will be self sustaining financially charging a small commission on produce sold , 100% of this will be used to sustain and grow the platform for the benefit of producers and consumers._