Bridging Consumer-Farmer Mobile Application Divide

Authors: A. Hol

Abstract:

Electronic mediums such as websites, feeds, blogs and social media sites are on a daily basis influencing our decision making, are improving our productivity and are shaping futures of many consumers and service/product providers. This research identifies that both customers and business providers heavily rely on smart phone applications. Based on this, mobile applications available on iTunes store were studied. It was identified that fruit and vegetable related applications used by consumers can broadly be categorized into purchase applications, diaries, tracking health applications, trip farm location and cooking applications. On the other hand, applications used by farmers can broadly be classified as: weather tracking, pests / fertilizer applications and general social media applications such as Facebook. To blur this farmer-consumer application divide, our research utilizes Context Specific eTransformation Framework and based on it identifies characteristic future consumer-farmer applications will need to have so that the current divide can be narrowed and consequently better farmerconsumer supply chain link established.

Keywords: Smart Phone Applications, SME, Farmers, Consumer, Fruit and Vegetable, Technology, Business Innovation.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1109661

References:

[1] G. Griffith, and J. Wilkinson. "Small Business in NSW: Statistical snapshot and recent developments," 10 March 2014; http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/publications.nsf/key/S mallBusinessinNSW:Statisticalsnapshotandrecentdevelopments/$File/S mall+Business+in+NSW+4.pdf.
[2] E. Connolly, D. Norman, and T. West. "Small Business: An Economic Overview," 1 April 2014; http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/ D3310114.nsf/4a256353001af3ed4b2562bb00121564/d291d673c4c5aab 4ca257a330014dda2/$FILE/RBA%20Small%20Business%20An%20ec onomic%20Overview%202012.pdf.
[3] A. Hol, O. Mubin, and A. Ginige, “Proposed Business Model for SME Farmers in Peri-Urban Sydney Region,” in ICE-B - International Conference on E-Business, Vienna, Austria August, 28-30, 2014, 2014.
[4] K. Toyama, “Human‚ Äìcomputer interaction and global development,” Foundations and Trends in Human-Computer Interaction, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 1-79, 2010.
[5] A. Dhir, I. Moukadem, N. Jere, P. Kaur, S. Kujala, and A. YlaJaaski, "Ethnographic Examination for Studying Information Sharing Practices in Rural South Africa." pp. 68-74.
[6] M. B. Rosson, and J. M. Carrol, “Scenario-Based Design: The Human Computer Interaction Handbook,” Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 1032-1050., 2002.
[7] A. Hol, “Mobile Application Set to Empower SME Farmers in Peri- Urban Sydney Region” in ICIS 2014: International Conference on Information Systems, Venice, Italy November, 13-14, 2014.
[8] A. Hol, “Context Specific eTransformation Decision Making Framework” in ICIS 2014: International Conference on Information Systems, Venice, Italy November, 13-14, 2014.
[9] F. Parker, “Making periurban farmers on the fringe matter”. State of Australian Cities Conference, Adelaide, November, 28, 2007
[10] AppleComputing, "iTunes Online Library," iPhone applications, Apple Computing, 2015.
[11] R. Costa, L. Marcelino, C. Silva, “Profile-based System for Nutritional Information Management” IEEE 15th International Conference on e- Health Networking, Applications and Services (Healthcom 2013), Polytech. Inst. of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal, 2013.
[12] T. Ginige, and D. Richards, “A Model for Enhancing Empowerment in Farmers Using Mobile Based Information System”, in Australasian Conference on Information Systems 2012, ACIS, Geelong, Australia, 2012.