M’sian online food delivery with a smart farm for traceability – Wired PR Lifestyle Story

Convenient online food delivery services were once again a luxury for many, becoming almost a necessity at the height of the pandemic, before many of us were vaccinated.

Now we have a good opportunity with Pandamart, GrabMart, real food stores that offer deliveries, and several smaller startups in the area.

So when I came across it JustOnMy initial thought was, do we really need another food service in Malaysia?

Going deeper, they explained to me more about this Malaysian startup. In addition to providing fresh food to customers, they also have their own smart farm and low-income farmers, fishermen, etc.

The aim of all this is to provide an integrated ecosystem from the first to the last kilometer when it comes to fresh produce. It aims to provide farmers with safer and more efficient ways of managing crops so that customers can be assured of food security.

More than selling good vegetables

Founded by Zachary Aman and Pang Su Yen, JustGood was thought to be more than just a food supply company.

They believe that the food supply chains in the market are not complicated and inefficient. In other words, farmers face a number of problems in terms of the quality, price, efficiency and sustainability of their crops.

For example, a lack of price transparency means that farmers do not always get the best deal when they sell their products. Those with small holdings also miss out on opportunities for buyers who prefer to acquire a wide variety of single-supplier products.

In addition, conventional farmers generally have a low level of education and have inadequate technical skills for agriculture. This means that pesticides continue to be used for crops because they are unaware of new agricultural practices that may make products safer for consumers.

Zachary could empathize with these struggles. Before owning his smart farm, he was in the same situation at the end of his studies and his grandfather ordered him to cultivate crops in the small family gardens that were wasted.

He wondered what kind of crops he could grow, which were in high demand and at the same time profitable. As an individual with no bargaining power, he was asked who he could associate with to help him manage the small tracts of land he was given.

Work with experts in the field

The use of intelligent farming methods while employing low-income farmers was able to solve these problems. JustGood provides technical and business support so that farmers can produce better crops in terms of quality and quantity, except for the use of harmful chemicals such as pesticides.

Some of the farming methods used on JustGood’s farms include sensors to control ambient temperature and humidity, as well as the pH, feed levels and oxygen content of food water.

This information will be used to control other automated functions through an IoT system, such as exhaust fans, cooling parts, and fertilizer dosing.

Farmers are involved in a variety of areas, and JustGood provides them with the necessary knowledge and training to give them the best chance of success. “We also pay them fairer and better prices for their products compared to previous practices,” Zachary added.

Draw the path of your food

When it comes to clean eating, customers don’t look for organic labels on vegetables in the grocery store. As agricultural technology systems are used, you are expected to explore and know where your products are coming from by following each step in the supply chain.

JustGood understands this customer demand and ensures that food sold on its food platform can be tracked through internal IoT systems.

“Ultimately, from a consumer perspective, the products brought to the table are high quality and consistent, traceable and safe,” Zachary told us.

But JustGood’s Store page doesn’t just offer fresh fruits and vegetables. It also offers a full range of products you would expect to find in most major grocery stores, including poultry, frozen foods, seafood, and bakeries.

Although its fruits and vegetables come from JustGood’s farming network, the seafood is supplied directly by fishermen from Sekinchan and Pulau Ketam. The birds also come from local farms in the country.

Zachary shared: “In addition to the usual items that can be found in other grocery stores and grocery stores, we also get a lot of local artisanal products to help local farm industries, including local chocolates, cheeses, sauces, biscuits, etc.”

JustGood’s product prices are slightly lower than KL’s premium supermarkets. For example, a 5 kg seedless watermelon in JustGood costs RM23.90 (RM4.78 / kg) and a 2 kg Village Grocer for RM12 (RM6 / kg).

Although there is a small sample of more competitors, the quality you get from a business that empowers lower-income farmers can be a valuable opportunity for JustGood for customers.

Cultivate larger lands

With JustGood not yet officially launching its beta platform, online retailers will likely face challenges in capturing a user base that is accustomed to buying from larger brands.

But Zachary doesn’t seem concerned about this because he thinks JustGood stands out for its ability to benefit communities in the region.

“In designing this ecosystem, we intend to replicate it in different countries that serve multiple communities,” he noted. “The goal is to build an efficient food distribution network by providing good, fresh and clean quality food with sustainability and traceability, giving peace of mind and better value and quality to consumers.”

Sharing with us the company’s 7-year track record, JustGood added that it will open physical stores in the near future.

“We want JustGood to be synonymous and the word of a sustainable and traceable end food platform in Malaysia and abroad,” Zachary predicted.

• Learn more about JustGood here.
• Read other articles we’ve written smart farms.

Featured Image Credit: Zachary Aman, JustGood Group CEO and Founder