In a recent study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAOUN), it was discovered that approximately 1.6 billion tons of food per year are either lost or wasted globally, resulting in annual losses of US$1.2 trillion. However, food wastage worldwide could be reduced by 20% by the year 2025 (and by 50% in 2030) if food and produce supply chains can be reoutfitted with IoT - Internet of Things- sensor labels.
Although the United Nations has set a target to cut down on food wastage by half within the next 10 years, Eseye, an IoT tech firm from the UK, believes that food wastage could be reduced by 20% by the year 2025 itself. They claim the answer might lie in billions of IoT connected devices in food manufacturers’ supply chains.
Eseye CEO Nick Earle believes that just like how smart farming technology is making a difference in other aspects of food production, the use of IoT batteries, and cellular connectivity can be printed onto flexible labels and implanted on food products – effectively enabling comprehensive visibility of the entire product supply chain.
“IoT has the power to dramatically overhaul the way we grow and transport the world’s food,” says Earle. “With a growing population and finite resources on our planet, we must become more efficient and end wastage.”
Techwireasia.com reported that, according to Eseye, the IoT labels can even measure the properties of fruit and vegetables such as the color, size and shape, while they are still growing. That data can then be used to control growing conditions like water supply, helping accurately ascertain the best harvest date, and consequently determine the amount of stock that should be reduced from the outset, before it even enters the supply chain.