Pora na Pola SA, an online natural food market, received a grant of PLN 1 million to design and implement a system forecasting consumer demand for regional food products from farmers and small producers.
The company wants to create a tool that will facilitate the management of purchases from food suppliers and help farmers plan their production. Thanks to the new technological solution, it will be possible to predict, with a certain probability, what the customers of Pora na Pola will have in a given period in the future, with a certain probability. The algorithm using artificial intelligence will take into account, among others seasonality, purchase history, current trends, planned promotions.
“The solution is a response to the challenges of the craftsmen cooperating with us, who find it more difficult to plan their work due to non-mass production and traditional methods that require time (such as natural cheese maturation). I am glad that technology can help to cultivate the tradition of artisanal production of natural food. Pora na Pola transfers the traditional model of shopping at the market to the Internet, and along with these transfers it becomes a company with advanced technological solutions supporting logistics” – says Adrian Piwko, president and founder of Pora na Pola.
The solution will benefit farmers who are considering operating on a slightly larger scale or in new product categories, but are concerned about the demand. Time for the Fields also emphasizes the positive impact of the tool on the environment. By better predicting consumer needs, food waste can be better prevented at the stage of production and trade.