AuXfarm: An Online Auction Platform for Enhancing Agricultural Trade and Reducing Food Waste

Abstract

Across the globe, food waste threatens food security, economic stability, and environmental sustainability. The agricultural sector of developing countries, including the Philippines, is being challenged by the high percentage of food wastes due to issues with the efficient distribution of produce. To solve this problem, this study proposed AuXfarm, a web-based auction platform designed to support farmers in selling their “cull” produce, help reduce food waste, and improve agricultural productivity. Adopting an Agile Scrum methodology, AuXfarm was developed through iterative rounds of feedback to ensure the system remains dynamic and user-friendly. It provides a broad spectrum of functionalities for farmers, buyers (i.e., bidders), and administrators. The usability assessment involving 30 end users yielded positive results: the system is very useful and has high interface and information quality. These results show that AuXfarm can help farmers market their products better, minimize dependence on middlemen, and establish a more transparent, competitive pricing structure.