The journey of the pilot project Field2Fork AI Hub officially concluded with a series of key milestones in July 2026. Funded under the European initiative PoliRuralPlus (Horizon Europe), the project was a strategic collaboration between EXO (project coordination and technological development) and DARe Puglia - Distretto Agroalimentare Regionale (rural community engagement and prototype validation).
The goal? To break down the barriers of fragmentation and low digitalization that often penalize small Apulian producers, while offering urban consumers simplified, traceable, and personalized access to local food.
Two Key Events to Celebrate Project Milestones:
UAT Panel & Final Webinar
The final validation phase came to life through two major events that brought
together academia, producers, consumers, and developers:
The UAT Panel Test in Foggia (July 7, 2026)
On Tuesday, July 7, 2026, from 10:00 to 12:00, the DAFNE Department of the
University of Foggia hosted the UAT (User Acceptance Test) Panel Test. This
meeting, specifically designed for stakeholders and local communities, allowed
participants to test the platform’s usability and effectiveness firsthand, gathering crucial feedback to refine the user experience.
The Webinar: "AI Supporting Short Food Supply Chains" (July 9, 2026)
On Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 16:30, the final webinar took place online via Google Meet to review the project's milestones and results. The online event featured key figures from the development and research teams:
● Giovanni Scaramuzzo (EXO) introduced the Field2Fork project, highlighting
how the digital hub successfully connects urban demand with rural supply.
● Bruno Giordano (EXO) demonstrated the digital solutions developed,
showcasing the integration between the PrestaShop e-commerce engine and
the AI assistant.
● Antonio Stasi (DARe Puglia) discussed the economic impact of short supply
chains and presented DARe's experience in regional agricultural economics.
PDF
What is Field2Fork AI Hub and How the "Personal Farmer" Works
The technological heart of the project is a digital middleware that sits on top of the traditional local e-market. Instead of browsing complex catalogs, users can interact directly with the Personal Farmer: an interactive virtual assistant powered by Artificial Intelligence and RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation).
● Natural Conversation: Consumers can express their needs in plain language (e.g., mentioning allergies, specific health goals, or asking for a weekly seasonal vegetable box for a family).
● Interactive Cart Management: The virtual assistant interacts directly with
PrestaShop's APIs to recommend products, show technical sheets, suggest
pairings, and add items to the cart right inside the chat.
● Smart & Sustainable Logistics: To minimize carbon footprints and optimize
distribution, the system utilizes GIS (Geographical Information System)
technology, asking for the user's location to automatically suggest and set the
nearest peri-urban or rural collection point for pickup.
Outstanding Results and Next Steps
The experimental phase recorded excellent feedback from all involved. Interviews with producers and consumer surveys showed extremely high adoption and satisfaction rates, with scores ranging between 4 and 5 on a 5-point scale for usability, usefulness, and willingness to adopt the platform.
The ultimate goal, as emphasized by the project partners, is to transition this
prototype into a permanent operational tool, scalable across Apulia and replicable in other contexts to boost local agricultural economies.
How to Contribute to the Final Validation
Even though the main events have concluded, final data collection is still ongoing. All consumers are warmly invited to help validate the platform by filling out the short questionnaire available on DARE Puglia's official social media channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram).
For more information about the project:
gestioneprogetti@distrettoagroalimentareregionale.org
Existing Comments