Method and apparatus for tracking and reporting social impact of food products

An apparatus, comprising:

• a computer including:
• a display;
• one or more input devices to sense product identification indicia associated with or affixed to an agricultural food product that is grown or raised in an agricultural operation, the agricultural operation being in a series of agricultural operations defining a chain of custody of the agricultural food product;
• and
• at least one processor to:
• a) receive an identification code from one or more of the input devices of the computer, the identification code corresponding to the agricultural food product;
• b) send the identification code to at least one remote server;
• c) receive, from the at least one remote server, at the computer, information that is associated with the agricultural food product, the information including social impact information that is associated with the production of the agricultural food product at the agricultural operation in the chain of custody of the agricultural food product, wherein the social impact information is generated an automatic, computerized process;
• and
• d) display at least some of the received social impact information on the display of the computer in human readable form.

A system comprising one or more processors to:

• a) receive an identification code from one or more input devices of a hand-held device, the identification code corresponding to an agricultural food product that is grown or raised in an agricultural operation, the agricultural operation being in a series of agricultural operations defining a chain of custody of the agricultural food product;
• b) at the hand-held device, receive or store information that is associated with the agricultural food product, the information including social impact information that is associated with the production of the agricultural food product at the agricultural operation in the chain of custody of the agricultural food product, wherein the social impact information is generated by an automatic, computerized process;
• and
• c) send to a display of the hand-held device, in response to receiving the identification code, at least some of the social impact information.

A system comprising:

• a network:
• at least one database, accessible on the network, the database including social impact information that is associated with the production of an agricultural food product that is grown or raised in an agricultural operation, the agricultural operation being in a series of agricultural operations defining a chain of custody of the agricultural food product;
• and
• a server, operatively connected to the network, wherein the server includes:
• a processor,
• a memory,
• software operable on the processor to:
• a) receive an identification code obtained by use of one or more input devices of a hand-held device, the identification code corresponding to the agricultural food product;
• b) receive or store information that is associated with the agricultural product, the information including at least some of the social impact information that is associated with the production of the agricultural food product at the agricultural operation in the chain of custody of the agricultural food product, wherein the social impact information is generated by an automatic, computerized process;
• and
• c) send to a display of the hand-held device, in response to receiving the identification code, at least some of the social impact information to be displayed in human readable form.

A computer-implemented method comprising using one or more processors to:

• a) receive an identification code from one or more input devices, the identification code corresponding to an agricultural food product that is grown or raised in an agricultural operation, the agricultural operation being in a series of agricultural operations defining a chain of custody of the agricultural food product;
• b) at a hand-held device, receive or store information that is associated with the agricultural food product, the information including social impact information that is associated with the production of the agricultural food product at the agricultural operation in the chain of custody of the agricultural food product, wherein the social impact information is generated by an automatic, computerized process;
• and
• c) send to a display of the hand-held device, in response to receiving the identification code, at least some of the social impact information.