Two is Better than One

Looking at one of the largest Smart Agriculture Service Platforms in China, we explore the impacts of its two distinct modes of sales. The two modes complement each other to address specific and general demand, while separating the large and efficient producers away from small-to-mid sized farmers to provide the latter a safe place to grow. Additionally, other protectionist policies for the latter group highlight what firms could do to protect weaker members of a crowd, promote diversity and ensure long-term sustainability of the platform. We use both qualitative methods like interviews and quantitative methods like statistical and big data analysis to understand the effects of the platforms structure and policies affect both individual farmers and the market.