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VEGiFY
Food is an obvious essential to life. In the Eastern part of the world, vegetables are highly valued as a dietary staple. However, the process of selling and buying vegetables is inefficient due to a lack of direct linkage between supplier (vegetable street vendors) and demander (food consumer). As a supplier, the vendor wanders around the street without a specifically targeted location. Moreover, the vendor does not have specific orders of types of vegetables to supply. This inefficient linkage results in a major issue of food waste.
+ Academic Work | Complex Adaptive System
+ Prof. Sharon Wohl
RESEARCH QUESTION:
How could CAS help in increasing the efficiency of street vegetable vendors in the developing countries.
APPROACH:
VEGiFY emphasizes on improving the linkage between supply and demand. Where the current process is based on searching for buyers by roaming around the streets aimlessly, the new process would involve a direct movement pattern of vendors via specific request system. This would enhance the efficiency of vendors by minimizing any waste of time. It allows a vendor to acquire information about the requested types and an appropriate quantity of vegetables to sell. For the buyer, it works as a search platform to find the vendors selling the vegetables needed. VEGiFY’s integrated and flexible approach between demand and supply helps vendors to estimate the quantity and type of vegetable in particular time frame. This would solve the issue of vegetable waste since the information of supply and demand creates a loop and balances the value chain.
THEORY:
VEGiFY initiates a participatory dialogue between producers and consumers without the top-down control and reorganizes the distribution of vegetables according to the real demand. The proposed model is structured in a decentralized manner that can achieve a flexible and coherent system at both levels - distribution of the carts and distribution of the vegetables. Based on the location of request, vendors can figure out the most appropriate route to sell the vegetables. The mobile carts are equipped with sensors that provide real time feedback about their location and types of vegetables that a cart is carrying. Over a period of time, this feedback will help analyze the food habits of a particular region. The key factors in the proposed model are the citizenry engaged system and technological infrastructure that aggregates the whole distribution network. It also expands the existing chain of the intermediate dealers in a more organized, tracked and supportive manner.
AGENTS ENERGY
Vendor----------Request
Buyers----------Availability of Vendors
LINKAGE:
VEGiFY application
FEEDBACK:
Number of requests
Location of the Carts
Quantity and type of Vegetable
EMERGENT PATTERNS:
Locations of demand
Efficient route for the Vendors
Food habits
CONCLUSION:
Through the participatory and responsive vegetable distribution system, VEGiFY will add an invaluable layer of efficiency. VEGiFY could also become an alternate option to people who frequently buy vegetables from the supermarket. In this manner, VEGiFY subsequently addresses the issue of parking requirements and fuel consumption. Its capacity to track the types and quantities of vegetables purchased would positively impact the vegetable industry and balance the production-consumption ratio. The feedbacks from this application could also determine the fitness parameter of temporary vegetable market spaces in the urban fabric.
POSTER PITCH:
https://youtu.be/jUhPkjR3Tvs
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