Who Picked Your Veggies? Using Packaging to Recognize the Farmer

Would you feel more connected to your food if it came with a picture of the person who produced it? Inspired to buy more local produce if you could see a real connection with the people, rather than tractors, who cared for and harvested it?

That's the great idea a man in Bangladesh has: to recognize the farmers and share their personal stories in the packaging of the vegetables they worked to produce.

A lot of fair trade crafts already do this—include a tag or card describing the place where it was made, the person who made it, or showing just a signature of the woman (or man) who wove the basket, strung the beads of a necklace, or put whatever finishing touches were required to complete the piece that the customer is driven to buy.

The idea hasn't taken off for vegetables yet, but it seems like it has huge potential not only in Bangladesh, but worldwide.

Would people shopping in a supermarket be more dedicated to choosing local produce over, say, Dole lettuce—even if it costs a little more—if they can see who produced it?