F2C Startups in India Working to Create Transparency and Access in the Food Supply Chain

Farm to Consumer, or F2C as it is known today, is conventionally a direct channel between farmers and the end consumers, a network that helps eliminate supply chain inefficiencies while guaranteeing better pricing for both sides of the table. With healthy living and wellness becoming an integral part of urban lifestyle, transparency and traceability of food have become a key concern for consumers. 

This change in consumer preference, especially post-Covid, has led to the emergence of a number of F2C agritech startups that are facilitating access and a direct relationship between the producer and the end consumer.

Additionally, over the years, with the application of new-age technologies and digitization, the F2C segment has gained a lot of attention from prominent investors in the country and is poised for exponential growth. F2C startups are not only organizing fragmented value chains but are also quickly developing efficient networks that benefit all stakeholders in the value chains.

Some of the top F2C startups in the country to keep an eye on are:

ReshaMandi

ReshaMandi is India’s first and largest B2B marketplace digitizing the natural fiber supply chain. ReshaMandi provides a full-stack digital ecosystem in the form of a super app, from farm to retail. ReshaMandi provides value-added services such as quality testing, technical advisory, high-quality inputs, and market linkages. ReshaMandi has boarded more than 35,000 small businesses spanning farmers, small and medium enterprise manufacturers, and retailers onto its supply chain. The startup’s processes have helped increase small business incomes by 35-55% and pushed the use of indigenous raw silk dramatically. 

Recently, they launched their in-house label ReshaWeaves which offers responsibly sourced natural fiber products that are exclusive and sustainable.

Deep Rooted

Greenhouse agritech startup Clover Ventures, founded in 2018, works with about 60 small-scale farmers spread across more than 70 acres around Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The startup started as a B2B demand-backed supply chain for perishables and assists small and marginal farmers in producing high-quality perishable crops. During the pandemic the startup pivoted to an F2C avatar, ‘Deep Rooted’.

The direct-to-consumer fruits and vegetable brand is founded on three pillars: fresh, clean, and community. Fresh produce is delivered in under 24 hours from farms primarily less than 150 km away from urban cities.

Farmley

Farmley is a direct-from-farm Indian brand delivering the freshest and cleanest dry fruits to the world. The startup works with farmers and empowers them by sourcing at fair value prices. In a few short years, farmley has successfully increased farmer's income manifold, built a fast-growing community-driven brand, and delivers premium quality nuts and dry fruits directly from the farm to fork.