“Be as transparent as possible with consumers” is the promise of Ferme de Fontenay, straddling Aube and Seine-et-Marne, which will participate for the first time in its history at the Agricultural Show , from February 24 to 26.
One of the largest producers of onions (but also shallots and garlic) in France (between 8 and 10% of production, or more than 260,000 tonnes per year on 400 hectares), has decided to affix a QR Code to packages of shallots, onions and other condiments from the Vajou regional range.
Equipped with a smartphone, the consumer is invited to scan the QR Code on the package.
He can thus discover “the date of sowing, harvest and the place of packaging of the product”.
This digital service also provides information “on the HVE (High Environmental Value) label and the way the Farm operates,” explains Camille Jaccon, the site’s communications manager.
It is supposed to respond to consumer demands for its products marketed within a radius of 200 km around the farm.
To also meet the demand from supermarkets, the farm plans to extend this system to products intended to become distributor brands.
Developed in conjunction with the French start-up Connecting Food, this system does not give additional work to farm employees.
“This doesn’t change anything about our way of working.
We simply make our traceability accessible to consumers,” assures the communications manager.
At the heart of the farmers' discontent, the administrative burden and multiple regulations represent a real problem for the Auboise farm.
“We are constantly monitoring the labels we put on products.
Sometimes we have to redo everything, it's restrictive!
», recognizes Camille Jaccon.