Collaborative works at farmer's market with ICT support

Recently farmer's market obtains attention of consumer as an alternative distribution channel for green vegetables and fruits in Japan. The market is managed as collaborative enterprise of independent farmers of which most of them are small-scale and aged. We have proposed a business model for the market and implemented information systems of inventory control and web promotion. The system is characterized with e-mail stock level notification by mobile phone and easy maintenance of contents such as text and pictures for aged farmers in web pages. We have introduced proposed model and system into actual farmer's market with several explanatory meetings and trainings to use PC. With one year operation in the market, we have achieved about 10% increase in visiting consumers and annual sales.