mishmap

Wouldn’t an organic food company’s marketing department be thrilled by a model in which each link in a product’s life cycle is documented and available to the public? Perhaps this can be accomplished with a combination of RFID and location aware technology. Just reference the product barcode to hear the story of how your morning cup of coffee found its way to your kitchen table:

[Montevede, Costa Rica, May 29, 2004] Hola! My name is  Andres Guadamuz and I am a worker on a local coffee plantation, responsible for maintaining machinery used in gathering coffee beans. Read more about our operation at http://www.cafe-monteverde.com/default.htm.

[Transamerica trucking company, Northern route, June 3, 2004] I left San Jose, Costa Rica on Monday, and I am on schedule to arrive in Los Angeles on Saturday. Gasoline prices have recently risen by 12 cents a gallon, and we are trying to insulate you, our customer, from the increased prices by reducing the weight of the packaging of our cargo.

[Monteverde coffee packaging plant, Los Angeles, June 9, 2004] This bag of espresso coffee bean is best if used by September 3th, 2005.

[Whole Foods, San Francisco, July 19th, 2005] Hi! I’m Jennifer, your cashier, and I’d like to thank you for buying organic foods. By supporting the Monteverde Coffee Company in Costa Rica, you help provide jobs and support sustainable agriculture, while enjoying an exceptional product! Rest assured that this RFID chip will now deactivate itself in order to protect your privacy. If you’ve enjoy this product, Rainbow Foods will give you 5% off your next purchase.

Maybe "supply chain narratives" like these will make us more informed and compassionate consumers, as we recognize that we live in a global village. This model isn’t limited to produce – it can be applied to other industries like textiles or services (what really happens when you drop off your dry cleaning? )