Inspired by the exponential increase in the online food market due to pandemic and their wish to provide market access for small-scale farmers, the founders of social enterprise ROMO use digital platforms to connect over 200 rural producers to consumers seeking healthy, fresh and sustainable products. Today, ROMO has 14 delivery points in urban areas.
In addition to establishing stable sales channels online, they leverage social media platforms to cultivate online communities that consist of health- and environmentally-conscious consumers interested in buying local. Products that small producers offer include organic fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, preserved foods, and artwork. Each week, they post their goods to ROMO’s channels, allowing shoppers to browse and place orders in advance.
With prior information about consumer demand, the ROMO farmers and artisans can plan their production, save costs and reduce food waste. The social enterprise encourages them to build partnerships and exchange information with one another, sharing ideas, experiences, expertise, contacts, and lessons learned. ROMO also offers consulting services to help producers to advance their branding and marketing strategies.
