Leveraging IoT in Food Supply Chains helps combat the Food Waste

Food services enterprises should have elasticity in an inventory of products while reducing food waste. A recent study by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAOUN) reveals that roughly 1.6 billion tons of food per year are either lost or wasted worldwide, resulting in annual losses of USD 1.2 trillion.

With ongoing resource scarcity and a ballooning global population, the UN has set a target to cut down on food wastage by half within the next ten years. But some IoT technology firms like Eseye believe that food wastage could be minimised by 20% by 2025, and billions of internet of things (IoT) connected devices in food supply chains could be the answer.

IoT to Reduce Food Waste

Massive quantities of consumable, nutritious food are wasted, but how and where from? Does it get discarded in the production process in the distribution centre? From the moment food is produced until it is consumed, food is extensively wasted throughout its lifecycle. To address this concern, the government and the food industry must deep dive into the world of IoT.

With multiple sensors and cameras spread everywhere, IoT helps in collecting meaningful data in real-time which has the potential to reveal insights that will help the stakeholders in making informed decisions. Here is how the IoT technology can help food not get wasted in different stages.

IoT can contribute to the production process. Food producers might not realise it, but a large amount of food is wasted during the food manufacturing process. The UN asserts that approximately 14% of food wastage happens after harvesting but before reaching shops and markets. As the food production stage involves heavy-duty machinery, the likelihood of the equipment causing damage to crops is high. Some of the other factors include spilling handling and storing.

The first step to solve the problem is to identify the actual causes of food waste. And for this, tracking food waste in real-time is mandatory. By embedding multiple sensors and cameras on the field, real-time details of the farm can be collected. Using IoT sensors, farmers can track where exactly the food is getting wasted and take appropriate measures to reduce it. Not only farmers but also the government officials can monitor the food wastage.

Because of improper monitoring, the chances of perished food getting decayed are higher. Apart from that, shelves must be properly handled and maintained all the time. Internet of Things in retail can be used in such scenarios. Smart shelves, equipped with various sensors can collect details on how the food is being stored and maintained. The data then can be used to control growing conditions like water supply, helping accurately ascertain the best harvest date, and as a result, determine the amount of stock should be reduced from the outset before it even enters the supply chain.

Along with creating hunger problems, food waste also harms the environment. The discarded perishables make its way to landfills. During its decaying process, methane gas is emitted. As methane carries about 25% more heat than CO2, it hurts the environment, increasing temperature and health risks. Food waste contributes to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Hence, leveraging IoT in the food supply chain not only helps combat the food waste but also fights climate change.