Where can you buy cheese from a farm just over the hill? Which local shop sells juice from a nearby orchard, or meat from a regional producer? Finding answers to these questions is often more difficult than it should be. Information is typically scattered across producers' websites, social media pages, local directories, or simply passed on by word of mouth.
The LocalLinks AI project, one of the winning initiatives supported through the PoliRuralPlus Develop Open Call, addresses this challenge by combining artificial intelligence, geospatial technologies, and stakeholder collaboration to improve the visibility of local food systems and strengthen short food supply chains in rural regions.
Supporting resilient local food systems
Implemented by Šumavaprodukt s.r.o. in cooperation with Úhlava, o.p.s., LocalLinks AI responds to the challenges identified in PoliRuralPlus Pilot Area No. 6 – the Bavarian–Czech cross-border network for rural innovation.
The project focuses on one of the key barriers facing regional food systems: while local producers supply high-quality products, reliable information about where those products are available is often incomplete or quickly becomes outdated. This makes it difficult for consumers to buy locally and limits opportunities for cooperation between producers, retailers, restaurants, tourism organisations and public authorities.
By improving access to this information, the project contributes to stronger connections between rural producers and urban consumers while supporting more sustainable regional economies.
From data to practical digital services
The main outcome of the project is LocalFarms.ai, an AI-powered web application that connects regional food producers with their customers and points of sale through an interactive map.
Rather than functioning as another online directory, the platform visualises real relationships between producers, retailers and consumers, helping users quickly identify where local products can be purchased.
The solution is built around four interconnected components:
- Data management tools for maintaining information about producers and their distribution networks.
- An AI analysis module that semi-automatically retrieves and updates publicly available information, reducing the effort required for manual data collection.
- An interactive map displaying relationships between producers and points of sale.
- A GeoAI chatbot that allows users to ask natural-language questions, such as where to buy goat cheese, regional honey or products sold directly from farms, while also providing recommendations for tourist attractions and places of interest across the region.
The resulting Atlas of Regional Points of Interest brings together regional food, tourism and local services in a single digital environment, creating added value for residents, visitors and businesses alike.
Co-created with regional stakeholders
A defining feature of LocalLinks AI has been its strong stakeholder engagement throughout the development process.
Regional stakeholders from agriculture, food processing, tourism, public administration and the non-profit sector actively participated in workshops, working meetings and testing activities to validate the application in real-world conditions.
Key milestones included stakeholder workshops organised in Klatovy and Dvůr Krutěnice, together with regular working meetings involving the project team and partners, particularly Šumavaprodukt and WirelessInfo. These sessions focused on testing individual system functionalities, improving data quality, refining the visualisation of producer–buyer relationships, enhancing the user interface, and validating both the chatbot and mapping tools.
Several online coordination meetings further supported prototype reviews, development planning and preparation of the project's final outputs.
Building on existing regional knowledge
Rather than starting from scratch, LocalLinks AI builds upon the long-established Atlas of Regional Specialities, developed by Šumavaprodukt as a trusted database of regional producers, products and points of sale. The project also builds on the results of the Data4Food2030 initiative, further improving cross-sector data interoperability.
By extending this existing infrastructure with AI-assisted data management, interactive mapping and conversational search, the project creates a scalable digital ecosystem capable of supporting producers, consumers, tourism organisations and local authorities.
Towards smarter rural innovation
As LocalLinks AI enters its final implementation phase, the project demonstrates how the PoliRural Plus Develop Open Call enables innovative, stakeholder-driven solutions that address real challenges faced by rural communities.
The public release of LocalFarms.ai is expected soon, providing a practical digital tool that improves the visibility of regional producers, supports short food supply chains and strengthens collaboration across the rural economy.
For further details about the project and its development, read the original article published by Úhlava, o.p.s.
The PoliRural Plus project is funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 101136910.
Existing Comments