American consumers want to know their farmers, and wholesale buyers are looking for source identified agricultural products that are augmented with reliable data about the identity of the producer and how the product was produced. This data can easily be made available using any smartphone by scanning a UPC code or QR code using data standardized in GS1 formats. Though this market is evolving in retail stores, and by global brands, voluntary adoption of these standards by independent producers in the farmer's market is non-existent. To substantially increase the number of small and mid-sized farms voluntarily adopting GS1 standards for use outside of the industry supported traceability programs, Top 10 promotes adoption of these standards for its membership, currently located in 15 states and in Canada. By promoting increased use of electronic mobile payment systems Top 10 Produce LLC promotes electronic traceability being adopted by wholesale buyers. Simply put, an electronic mobile payment made directly to the primary producer can serve as an electronic record for the purpose of food traceability. The initial phase of the study includes working with three independent farms who have agreed to use Top 10 Produce LLC's software systems to market a small assortment of products, including: Grassfed beef, Valencia oranges, Haas avocados, and Nopal cactus. These farms will provide feedback to assess the scalability of the system, which will allow Top 10 Produce LLC to efficiently target the branded click to pay technology to allow for its adoption by select small and mid-size producers who are positioned to benefit from the technology. Further, Top 10 Produce LLC intends seek out additional technology allies to allow for a select but diverse mix of trustworthy mobile payment solutions for the independent farms using the system.
