Authors: Oliver Moore (Cultivate)
Digital technology is transforming how we access food, but not always for the better. As part of its work in CODECS, Cultivate organised a webinar called “Where now for Digital Farmers’ Markets?”.
Oliver Moore from Cultivate opened the discussion with an overview of the downsides of the major tech companies’ “growth at all costs” model: an approach that risks power and undermining local food systems. In contrast, community-owned digital platforms offer a promising alternative, helping ensure fair prices for farmers while providing access to local food for consumers. But what are the real challenges and opportunities?
Based in the Cloughjordan Food Hub in Ireland, this Living Lab explores a key question: “Can digital farmers markets ensure local farmers get paid a fair price while providing consumers with better, fairer ways to source food directly?“
The Cloughjordan Food Hub serves as the physical and digital centre of this initiative. Located in the Community Enterprise Centre and shared by Cultivate and Cloughjordan Community Farm (CCF), the hub represents an innovative model of community-owned infrastructure and sustainable digitisation. CCF operates the North Tipperary Online Farmers Market through the Open Food Network (OFN) platform, using the hub as a space to test and refine digital solutions while maintaining the human connections that underpin local food systems.
As Evonne Boland from OFN Ireland explains, “the software evolves weekly based on global feedback” and “decisions are made at the lowest level possible, allowing OFN Ireland to prioritise Irish needs.” This approach ensures that technology serves communities rather than extracting value from them.
The platform offers significant flexibility for small-scale food producers. Farmers know exactly what has been sold and paid before leaving the farm, reducing both waste and ‘time poverty’ associated with traditional markets. The system supports a range of business models, from weekly Community Supported Agriculture subscriptions to public procurement initiative supplying schools, hospitals, and prisons.
Real-world examples highlight both the potential and the challenges of these digital markets. The North Tipperary Online Farmers Market, launched in Cloughjordan in 2021, has recently seen a sevenfold increase in turnover after expanding to Nenagh and moving from fortnightly to weekly operations according to market manager Iva Pocock, being “a one-stop shop for organic and free-range meat in North Tipperary” has been a key differentiator.
This bounce, however, only came about with state support for her role as a market facilitator and organiser. Earlier success during 2021 and early 2022 was partly driven by COVID-19 restrictions affecting other retailers. More recent progress (both in turnover and expansion) has been underpinned by sustained support for coordination and organisation.
Other markets have also felt the longer-term impacts of the pandemic. Imelda Mullin of Cavan Local Green Box reported that weekly orders dropped from 71 during COVID to an average of 37 last year, a 43% decline. “When a small producer goes out of business, customers who came for that one specific item often stop ordering altogether,” she explained. Despite this, “spend per box has increased, showing that remaining customers are highly committed and value-driven.”
The success of these markets depends on more than technology alone. Caitriona Scully of the Mid West Biodistrict notes that “many producers already have their own digital presence, the challenge is connecting these efforts, so they are not operating in isolation.” She emphasises that mapping producers and customers before introducing technology is essential.
Sean O’Farrell, an organic meat supplier to the Cloughjordan and Nenagh markets, highlights the human element: “I get great satisfaction knowing customers value my agroecological methods. However, I would love to see more ‘meet the farmer’ events to bridge the gap between digital and physical connections.”
Through its Living Lab approach, the CODECS project is addressing these challenges by combining research with practical implementation. By prioritising community ownership, transparency, and local needs, digital farmers’ markets can become powerful tools for building more resilient and equitable food systems.
As these platforms continue to evolve, they offer a pathway towards a future where technology supports communities rather than extracting from them. The question is not whether digital farmers’ markets can succeed, but how quickly these community-led solutions can scale to create fairer food systems for all.
